Remembering
by Rose Stetson
Summary: SPOILER ALERT FOR COUNCIL OF MIRRORS! As their daughters grow older, Puck and Sabrina discuss the challenges ahead of them and reminisce about the challenges they've already faced together.
1. Chapter 1

Remembering

Pairing: Sabrina/Puck

Setting: After the conclusion of "Council of Mirrors"

Summary: SPOILER ALERT FOR COUNCIL OF MIRRORS! As their daughters grow older, Puck and Sabrina discuss the challenges ahead of them and reminisce about the challenges they've already faced together.

Chapter 1: Welcome Home

Sabrina Grimm sat at the kitchen table with a cup of steaming coffee in one hand as she waited for her husband, the "Trickster" King of Faerie, to return home from his day at the castle he called an office. Sabrina had been expecting this day for almost fifteen years. In fact, the only surprise was that it had taken so long for her daughters' fairy heritage to make itself manifest to them.

She thought she had been prepared. She thought she had known exactly what she would tell them. It was going to be a wonderful bonding experience between mother and daughters. They would have gone to Faerie where they would see Puck as the King of Faerie and then, they would have traveled as a family to Ferryport Landing where they would have seen Daphne's home, the renovated Grimm family home where Granny Relda had taken Sabrina and Daphne all those years before, and Daphne would have revealed the now-organized family journals, and the children would have turned the pages of history in awe of the world that had opened up for them. She and Puck would have been beaming with pride at their daughters' acceptance of their heritage—a remarkable blend of Grimm history and Ever After magic.

But when Alison had asked her that simple question, "What am I?", the words had escaped her, and she had simply uttered those hilariously inadequate words, "You're a fairy princess."

Puck would never let her live that down, she thought with a chuckle to herself. How many times had she tried to convince herself that those words would never fall from her lips? How many times as a child had she prayed that she could leave Ferryport Landing and never again hear anything about those dreaded fairy tales? How many times had she hoped that she could forget that Ever Afters existed? It served her right that after her hopelessly unrealistic dream where her daughters would accept their heritage without a second thought the only words she would find when faced with her daughter's pink fairy wings were to call her a fairy princess.

Of course, that was exactly what she was. As the daughter of the King of Faerie, she was heir to the throne—with all the attendant privileges and challenges. Sabrina and Puck had insisted that there would be no arranged marriages, but that had been the only difference that they had been able to insist upon when faced with the expectations of the citizens of Faerie.

The daughter of Veronica Grimm, the first champion of Ever After rights in New York City after Ferryport Landing was settled, was the only human who could even remotely be considered as a candidate for Queen of Faerie. Faerie was, after all, ruled by fairies, and even Sabrina Grimm could not claim such a heritage. On the other hand, the last arranged marriage that Faerie had seen had ended in the murder of several fairies, including the Oberon, King of Faerie and Puck's father. Seeing as the murder had been committed by Moth, the very fairy that Puck had refused to wed, the kingdom of Faerie (and indeed Titania, Puck's mother) had been far more forgiving of the fairy-Grimm marriage.

But despite the fact that they had received blessings from his family as well as her own when they had chosen to wed, their union had not been without challenges.

Before her thoughts could go any further, Sabrina heard the back door open and she knew instinctively that her husband had returned from work.

"I'm home!" Puck's voice reverberated off the hardwood floors of the apartment and sounded louder than it really was. He dropped a briefcase by the door as he walked toward where Sabrina sat at the kitchen table. He leaned over her chair and grinned as he pulled the blond strands of hair from her face. "Hey, Stinkface," he said with a teasing smile as he brushed his lips against her cheek in a gentle kiss. "How was your day?"

Sabrina's lips twitched in amusement. "You and I need to talk, and then we need to go upstairs and talk to our daughters."

He raised an interested eyebrow as he sat down beside her. "Oh?"

She nodded. "Alison got her fairy wings today."

The amusement danced on Puck's face like fireworks lighting up the blackest night. "Her wings, huh? I knew it! Any day, I said, didn't I? I said it would be any day."

"You've been saying that since the day she was born," Sabrina teased affectionately.

"Yes," he said conceding the point as he sat down. "But today's the day, so _this_ time I was right."

Sabrina laughed softly. "True."

"So, what did she say when she discovered her wings?" Puck asked, leaning toward his wife with increasing interest.

"She screamed," Sabrina said with a small chuckle. "But the better question would be to ask what I said to try and explain what was going on."

Puck raised his eyebrows. "Okay—what did you say?"

A smile tugged at Sabrina's lips which she tried valiantly to fight. "I told her that she was a fairy princess."

Puck's jaw dropped. "You didn't!"

Sabrina couldn't hold back the laughter any longer. "I did," she giggled.

Puck threw back his head and laughed heartily. "Oh, I wish I could have seen the look on her face when you said that! I'll bet she looked just like you did anytime I mentioned the fact I was going to marry you back when we were kids!"

Sabrina blushed at the memory. At twelve years old, she had been hardly old enough to consider marrying anyone, let alone the four-thousand-year-old Trickster King. "Who knew it was actually going to happen?" She defended playfully.

"Hey, I _told_ you back then so you'd be prepared," her husband retorted. "It's not my fault that you didn't get the hint."

Sabrina laughed softly to herself. "It would have been helpful if you'd shown your face in New York City more often. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you showed up eventually, but I think Bradley's family would have appreciated it if you'd showed up _before_ we got to the altar. Or really, anytime in the five years before that."

"And miss making an entrance?" Puck asked with a grin. "Would I really be the man you fell in love with if I didn't take every opportunity to make a theatrical entrance?"

Sabrina chuckled to herself as she stood to put her coffee mug in the sink. "You're awful."

"But you love me," Puck said with a smile.

"Yes," she said as she walked back over and sat on his lap. She put her arms around his neck and kissed his lips softly. "I'm not sure how it happened, but I do love you. I've loved you for years."

"Do you remember when we realized Alison was going to be a fairy?" Puck asked with a faint smile.

His voice brought Sabrina out of her thoughts and she turned a nod to her husband. "How could I forget?" She asked with a sardonic chuckle. "I'd just dreamed that I actually _wanted_ to be in one of those disgusting fairy cocoons."

Puck grinned.


	2. Chapter 2

**About fifteen years earlier**:

Sabrina was warm, wrapped up like a newborn baby as she slept. She wished she could stay here forever except for one thing. The pungent smell of the egg-shaped cocoon she was nestled in made her want to vomit while it simultaneously lulled her into a safe and secure sleep.

Couldn't she have the warmth and security of getting lulled to sleep like an infant without the smell that made her want to gag and release the contents of her stomach? She'd talk to Puck about putting the fairy doctors on that. Something needed to change about this cocoon-thing.

"Sabrina?" A soft voice whispered to her as a gentle hand brushed the hair from her face. The voice belonged to her mother, and somehow Sabrina managed to lift her heavy eyelids enough so that she could see her mother's concerned eyes peering down at her.

"Mom," she croaked.

The rolling nausea washed over her again as she awoke from her dream. She felt seasick, like the world was swaying from side to side for her but that it stayed still for the rest of creation.

"I hear you're a little under the weather," Veronica Grimm murmured sympathetically.

"I can hardly keep anything down for more than about five minutes, I feel like if I get any warmer I'm going to melt into a puddle on the floor, when I stand I feel like someone strapped roller skates to my feet when I wasn't looking and forgot to tell me about it, and in my dreams, that disgusting purple fairy cocoon thing actually looks inviting! Yeah, Mom, I'm just "a little" under the weather," Sabrina said somewhat sarcastically.

Sabrina didn't even wait for her mother to react or respond before she cringed with chagrin at her childish complaining. "I'm sorry, Mom. I should have added that I sometimes say things that I mean to be taken as jokes but which really aren't all that funny."

"Puck called me this morning and said he was going to take the day off. He said he was worried about you, and he didn't want you out of his sight," Veronica began as she took off her light sweater. "I got worried, so I came over as soon as I could."

"I know you think I'm exaggerating," Sabrina said as she sat up. She paused for a moment as that wave of rolling nausea came back over her. Her hand reached over to the small bowl that Puck had left by her in case she had to relieve her stomach of its contents, but the nausea passed. She heaved a small sigh of relief and turned back to her mother. "I honestly wish I was. But this is like how I felt when I had that piece of enchanted mirror stuck in me. Only it's lasted months now."

"You and Puck should have called us," Veronica admonished her daughter. "We could have cut our trip short."

"Mom, you were in Australia visiting your sister. I wasn't going to interrupt that to say that morning sickness isn't the cake walk I hoped it would be," Sabrina laughed. She pressed a hand to her softly rounding stomach. "Besides, Puck is just being overprotective. As long as I stay in bed, I'm okay."

Veronica raised a dubious eyebrow.

"Well, if I faint in bed, I won't fall, and if I faint, I'm not sick, so—it's all good. At least, that's what I told him before I made him go to work this morning." Sabrina's chuckle was tired, but goodnatured, and she hoped that her mother wouldn't believe that she was just faking it. Of course, she was, but she didn't want the rest of the world to know that.

"This just doesn't seem like morning sickness," Veronica said with a shake of her head. "Even with you girls, where I was conscious for my whole pregnancy, it wasn't this bad. Yes, there were times when I had carry around a saltine cracker or two to keep my stomach from getting upset, and once your dad even caught me when I fainted at the grocery store, but I wasn't stuck in bed for nine months waiting for a day when I _might_ not be sick to my stomach or walk through the house without collapsing in a dead faint. This isn't normal."

Sabrina lay back down as she mercifully accepted the comfort of her thick down pillow. The nausea abated somewhat though the throbbing that began in her head as she sat up kept her from rejoicing too much. "Mom, I don't know what to tell you. I feel the way I feel whenever I accidentally touch something magical, but if that's not morning sickness, what is it?"

"Have you touched something magical lately?" Veronica asked with concern.

Sabrina shook her head. "I didn't know how it would affect the pregnancy, so I've stayed even farther away from magic than I did before I was pregnant."

Sabrina could see the sympathy grow on her mother's face. "Then, I don't know what to tell you, sweetheart," Veronica said as she brushed Sabrina's hair from her face.

The door opened and Puck's anxious face appeared around in the room. "Oh, good. You're awake. How are you feeling?"

She managed a weak smile. "I'm all right. How was your day?"

Puck walked into the room as a small smile grew on his face. "Well, actually, I turned into a rhinoceros today. It was great! All of Faerie thought that a rhinoceros had escaped from the New York Zoo. They almost took me back! Oh, it was brilliant!"

Sabrina couldn't help but laugh as he sat down on the bed beside her. "Do you do anything as King of Faerie beside torture the Ever Afters in Faerie with your childish pranks?"

He grinned as he pulled her to a sitting position, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her temple affectionately. "Hey, don't knock them! Those childish pranks are the very things that made you fall in love with me."

Sabrina looked dubious. "That's not the way I remember things. I remember you torturing me with slime bombs and calling me Stinkface, and all that."

"I did more than that!" He protested. "I saved your life over and over again. Didn't I fly into the barrier once while I was trying to save your life?"

"That's it!" Veronica cried.

Sabrina and Puck looked over at her, curiously. "That's what, Mom?"

"You said you've been feeling like you're in the presence of magic," Veronica explained. "Like it's a part of you the way the magic mirror was for a time."

"Yes, that's what I said," Sabrina said with a nod.

"Don't you get it? You're married to a fairy! And fairies are magical."

"And?" Puck asked confused.

"And—if I'm married to a fairy, then I'm probably expecting a fairy baby," Sabrina concluded as she followed her mother's logical train of thought. "Which means, I have magic in me."

Puck's face grew apologetic as he looked down in loving concern at his wife. "I never even thought about that. I was hatched in one of those cocoon things—so were my brothers. I never realized that if you and I were going to have children that you would have to carry magic inside you. I know how sick you get around magic."

"Well, now that we know what the problem is, we can see what we can do to fix it," Veronica said as she stood. "I'm going to call Daphne and see if she has any suggestions."

"You mean, like putting me in an Enchanted sleep for the next five months or so before I give birth?" Sabrina asked softly. Veronica winced at the veiled reminder Sabrina gave her of her own last pregnancy. "Mom, I don't need magic to handle this problem for me. I'll just take it one day at a time like I have for the last four months."

Veronica sighed. "We don't even know what the options are—or how this is going to affect you over the long-term. I think it would be wise for us to have a back-up plan or two in case your plan isn't exactly safest for you and the baby."

Puck nodded. "I agree with your mom on this one, Sabrina. I think we should call Daphne and see what she suggests."

Sabrina nodded somewhat reluctantly. She knew that she would never win if she was fighting both her mother and Puck. "All right. Just tell Daphne to leave her toys at home, okay? I'd rather not have a double-dose of magic."

Veronica nodded. "Will do." She leaned down and kissed Sabrina's forehead tenderly. "I love you, sweetheart." She turned so that she could look at both Puck and Sabrina. "Call me if there's anything I can do to help, okay?"

Puck and Sabrina nodded as Puck's protective embrace around his wife tightened. "We will," he assured.

She offered Sabrina a smile that seemed to give her enough strength to handle the challenges of this pregnancy for at least a little longer before she walked out of the room.

As she left, Sabrina turned to look up at her husband. "No one ever told me that I'd start having dreams about being in that fairy cocoon things and being both repulsed and comforted by it."

Puck grinned. "Why do you think I had such a fascination with stinky things for four thousand years? It was like coming home."

Sabrina shuddered. "Is that why I had such a dream? Is it one of those pregnancy side-effect things that I could never have anticipated because I'm the first Grimm to have a half-fairy baby?"

"Probably." Puck said as he released his hold on his wife and stood. He walked to the window and scratched his head as if puzzling over a serious question. "Boy, what pregnancy side-effects can I expect? I mean, I _am _the first in my family to have a half-human baby," Puck said as he turned to Sabrina with a small smirk.

Sabrina threw a pillow at him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Present Day:**

"I recall throwing more than a few pillows at you during that pregnancy," Sabrina said with a smirk as she sat on her husband's lap with her arms wrapped around his neck. "And as close I can remember it, you deserved every single one of them."

Puck laughed. "Yes, well—at least I got you laughing instead of puking. And in those days, that was an accomplishment."

Sabrina grimaced at the memory. "Yes, it was."

"Mom, Dad?"

Sabrina and Puck turned toward the sound of the voice that was calling to them from the stairs. There, halfway up the stairs, was Emma. "Yes, sweetheart?" Sabrina asked as she stood and walked toward the stairs.

"Um, Alison is wondering if there's any way to have her wings surgically removed."

Sabrina turned to look at Puck who had walked up behind her. He sighed. "I guess it's my turn, huh?"

"Seeing as I don't have wings? Yeah." Sabrina said with a nod.

Puck nodded as he called up the stairs. "I'm coming, Emma. Why don't you get your sister and meet your mom and me in our room, okay?"

"If she'll come," Emma called as she hurried back up the stairs.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of some way to get her there," Puck said with a mischievous smile.

"We are _not_ encouraging that," Sabrina reminded her husband.

"Oh, we're not?" Puck asked with an innocent look.

"Don't play innocent with me," Sabrina said somewhat sternly. "You know Emma drives Alison crazy with her pranks."

As if on cue, Alison's angry tone came barreling from the teen's room. "MOM!"

"See?" Sabrina said with a sigh as she climbed the stairs up to her daughter's room.

"Can I help it if I get a little nostalgic every once in a while?" Puck asked as he unfurled his giant, pink fairy wings and flew up the stairs beside his wife. "I mean, you outlawed my slime bombs in the house. What else am I supposed to do?"

Sabrina eyed him with suspicion building inside. She'd learned a long time ago to be afraid whenever he said he was feeling nostalgic. "Did you bring something home that I'm not going to like?"

"You wound me, Sabrina," Puck said as he put a hand to his chest and pretended to fall down toward the earth in a dead faint. "Those were the tricks of a boy. Not of the King of Faerie."

"I seem to recall you calling yourself a king in those days too," Sabrina muttered under her breath as she walked to her daughter's broken door and knocked on the splintered wood. "Alison?"

"Whoa, what happened here?" Puck asked as he stood and looked at the damaged door. His wings had disappeared once again, and he looked like an ordinary businessman with blond hair and a dark suit.

"Mom kicked the door down," Emma announced proudly.

Puck turned to his wife who shrugged. "Well, Alison screamed, and she wouldn't open the door. I wasn't sure if she just wasn't in a position to open the door because some monster was blocking or not, so I kicked the door in." She turned a stern look to her younger daughter. "What did you do to your sister?"

"Me? Do something to Alison?" Emma asked as she feigned innocence.

Sabrina looked at her husband who instantly dropped his proudly mischievous smile from his face and became as serious as his wife. "Emma, what happened?" Puck asked. "What did you do to Alison?"

Emma opened her mouth to speak as Alison walked over to her mother. She was drenched in a sticky fluid that seemed remarkably similar to Puck's slime bombs from Sabrina's childhood. "Mom! It's bad enough that I have these—these—" It was as if sprouting wings had been the most traumatic experience in Alison's life.

Thankfully, Puck leaned in. "Wings," he prompted gently.

Alison's face became pained as she turned to her mother as if she'd committed the most unfathomable treachery known to mankind. "You _told_ him?"

"Alison, sweetheart," Sabrina began with a soothing voice.

Alison seemed to have gotten over that particular betrayal quickly enough because she turned to her sister with a venomous eye. "It's bad enough that I have these—things—but then, _she_ has to come and drop a water balloon on my head! But if it was a water balloon filled with water, I _might_ be able to forgive her. But no, _she_ had to fill it with some sort of disgusting slime! And now, I smell like I've walked a mile in the sewer!"

"More like two," Sabrina muttered under her breath. She put her arms around her daughter's shoulders and gently guided her to the bathroom down the hall. "Why don't you take a nice warm shower before we talk, okay? I _promise_ it will help you feel better."

"Oh great," Alison said sarcastically. "A promise. That'll make it all better."

Sabrina bit her tongue as she retrieved a large, fluffy towel from the linen closet by the bathroom. She handed it to her daughter with a sympathetic smile. "I know it's tough now, sweetheart, but it won't always be like this. In fact, someday you might even miss this."

She won a disbelieving look from her daughter. "Have _you_ ever been slimed with something that smells better than a dead rat?"

Alison slammed the door as Sabrina opened her mouth. "As a matter of fact," Sabrina murmured under her breath. "I have, and in those days I didn't always have access to running water."

Puck wrapped his arm around her shoulder and offered her an apologetic smile. "I already had a talk with Emma about cutting Alison a little slack—at least for the next couple of days. She said she'd try."

Sabrina buried her face in his chest wearily. "I don't think I can take much more of this tonight," she groaned.

"Here's an idea," Puck said with a smile. "Why don't you go take a bubble bath, I'll call for some Chinese food and keep an eye on Emma, and when you and Alison are relaxed, we'll all meet on our bed for a chat? Sound good?"

Sabrina looked into her husband's eyes with gratitude. He was more often than not a joker, but once in a while, when she needed it, he'd morph into a knight in shining armor and say or do just the right thing to make her feel like she was the luckiest woman in the world to have married this King of Faerie. "Sounds perfect," she admitted.

"Great," he said as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I can tell you've had a long day—and the girls are only part of it."

Sabrina sighed as she nodded. "Someone—I'm still not sure who—is trying to bring back the Scarlet Hand."

Puck's face grew sober. "What? Why?"

"Apparently the rumor has spread about how we trapped the members of the Scarlet Hand in Charming's castle before we faced Mirror for the last time. Some of the Ever Afters who stayed out of Ferryport Landing because they'd heard about the Barrier are calling it cruel and unusual punishment. But because they can't sue me without putting their identities on the line, they've taken to threatening me."

Puck's brows furrowed together as his grip on his wife's arm grew tighter. "If they so much as try—"

Sabrina put her hand on her husband's and gently interrupted him. "I know. And I appreciate it. I'm not too worried about it, but I do have to admit that when Alison screamed, the first thing I thought was that someone was making good on their threat."

"Maybe, now that the girls know, we should move to Faerie. You know, into the castle. I know Mother would love to get a chance to spend time with her granddaughters," Puck suggested as he turned on the water for the bathtub.

Sabrina chuckled at the thought of her daughters meeting and spending time with their capricious grandmother. "Puck, do you honestly think that if Alison's freaking out this badly over a pair of wings that she won't be utterly traumatized when her grandmother turns into a dragon and tries to barbecue us all?"

A small smile stole onto Puck's lips. "That was _one_ time," he said with a chuckle. "And just because it was _your_ first impression of her "Mama Bear" routine doesn't mean that she's like that on _all _her first impressions."

Sabrina merely raised an eyebrow.

"But I do agree that I should probably demonstrate fairy transformation before we take the girls to see my family," he said with a nod.

"That's the understatement of the year," Sabrina chuckled as she dropped a scented bath bead into the bathtub. It bubbled and fizzed as warm water cascaded over the top of it.

Puck walked out of the master bathroom and into the master bedroom where he picked up the telephone. "Hm," he murmured as he peered into the bathroom. "Should I be a gorilla, a bear, or a rhino?"

Sabrina shook her head with a small chuckle. "How about something a little less terrifying?"

"Like what?" Puck asked as if he was genuinely unsure about what alternatives there might be.

"How about the white stallion that carried me when I was sick back when we were kids?" Sabrina suggested as she turned off the water.

"Oh, that stallion only comes out when I'm trying to be charming," Puck said with a chuckle as he walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. "Enjoy your bath."

"Oh, I will," Sabrina said with a grin. She carefully removed her clothes and slipped into the warm water in the bath tub. She closed her eyes as she felt the stress melt away from her aching muscles.

It was almost as good as laying in the hammock outside.

"MOM!"

Sabrina jerked forward as she heard her daughters hurry into her bedroom. So much for relaxation.

She heard the sound of the voices escalate. It was clear that Puck was doing all he could to keep the girls from bothering their mother. For that, she was immensely grateful. She wanted to just stay here for a few more moments, but she also knew that she would regret it if she didn't go and help her husband.

She got out of the tub and slipped into the thick, warm robe that Daphne had sent her for Christmas last year. It felt as thick and luxurious as it looked. She took a moment to savor the feeling of having this warm, fluffy robe wrapped around her, and then she tied the belt around her waist.

She walked out into her bedroom to find Alison hovering above Puck and Sabrina's bed with her hands on Emma's hair. Just as she entered the scene, Puck's wings sprang forth, and he flew up to face his eldest daughter. "Alison, let go of your sister's hair!"

Emma screamed as Alison gave a hard yank to her sister's ponytail.

"Why should I, Dad?" The teen demanded. "She threw that slime ball on my face, and even after I showered, I still smell like I sleep with sheep!"

Emma's scream softened to a muffled whimper as she attempted to stop her crying.

"Alison, this is no way for a fourteen year old to behave," Puck scolded. "Let go of your sister's hair!"

Sabrina sighed before she placed her fingers in her mouth and blew. The resulting whistle startled everyone into silence. "Alison, let go of your sister's hair and sit on the bed," Sabrina ordered. "Emma, stay here."

Instantly, Alison let go of Emma's hair, and both girls sat down on the bed. Puck followed suit though he turned a moderately impressed glance to his wife. Sabrina suppressed a smirk as she exhaled. "That's much better."

"Mom, she—" Emma began as Alison uttered a competing, "Mom, it's not fair! Emma—"

Sabrina put up her hand to stop the explanations. "Your father and I have a few things to talk to you about. And it seems that now would be as good a time as any."

Puck nodded in agreement. "Your mother's right. We need to tell you about your heritage."

"Mom already told us all about the Brothers Grimm and all that," Emma piped up. The remainder of her tears were pooled in the corners of her eyes forgotten by the girl.

Sabrina smiled as Puck wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Actually, Emma, I didn't get to the whole story," Sabrina admitted to her daughters. "I thought maybe your dad would want to tell you about his side of the family."

"You mean there's more?" Alison groaned.

Sabrina offered Puck an encouraging smile as he began. "Well, as you saw earlier, your wings came from my side of the family," he said somewhat nervously. "In fact, everything about the "fairy princess" statement your mother made earlier comes from my side of the family."

"You mean, she wasn't just joking about the princess thing?" Emma asked with wide eyes.

Sabrina chuckled as she turned to her husband. "Why don't you get the coronation album while I get dressed?"

Puck grinned. "It'd be my pleasure."

Sabrina laughed at the memory as she grabbed her pajamas and walked over to the bathroom. "Now that was a fun time," she said as she shared a glance with her husband who looked quite proud of himself.

"I've never shared a better time with a better person," Puck said with a grin.


	4. Chapter 4

**About Sixteen Years Earlier:**

Sabrina stood at the front of the church with Puck flying above her and Bradley standing beside her. With Daphne's pre-wedding admonition to be absolutely sure about marrying Bradley playing on loop in her head, she suddenly knew what she had to do. She was suddenly absolutely sure. Absolutely sure that she could never feel for Bradley what she felt for Puck, the Trickster King. A unique combination of irritation and admiration served with a healthy side of love.

"Sabrina?" Bradley asked with a cough. He leaned toward her uncomfortably. "Is, uh, this guy a friend of yours?"

"Am I a friend of hers?" Puck asked incredulously. "I should say so! I proposed marriage to her when she was twelve, and she accepted!"

Before Bradley could respond, Sabrina looked up at Puck. "Not the way I remember it!" Sabrina argued. "You declared that we were going to get married, and you wouldn't listen when I kept telling you that we were _never_ going to get married."

"What? You didn't get that the whole cocoon thing where my cocoon attached itself to you was a proposal?" Puck asked with a smirk.

Sabrina's mouth hung open as if she was going to say something, but no sound came out. She could come up with a retort for that. She knew she could—she had to.

"Sabrina, what's going on?" Bradley whispered before she had a chance to offer even the smallest of retorts to the Trickster King.

Sabrina looked from Puck to Bradley. Then, she looked down at her family sitting on the pew. Daphne was giving her a thumbs-up. Somehow Sabrina knew without a doubt that it was Daphne's way of giving her approval to Puck's wedding interruption. Especially after the enthusiasm with which Daphne had bitten her palm when Puck had first shown up.

Basil was grinning, and again Sabrina could see his approval for Puck's intrusion on her wedding day. In fact, that same grin was on the faces of William Charming, Snow White, Red, Mr. Canis, Goldilocks, Pinocchio, and a host of other Ever Afters.

"Sabrina," Bradley persisted.

Sabrina turned to her parents for some sort of advice. Her father looked resigned which meant that whether he approved or not, he knew what her choice would be. Her mother's anxious look, however, made her the most nervous. It didn't seem to say a word except communicate to her that she had better make the right choice.

She just wanted some sort of confirmation that she was going to make the right choice by pulling Bradley aside and apologizing for embarrassing him before she returned to him his engagement ring.

"Don't keep him waiting in suspense, 'brina," Uncle Jake murmured from one of the rows on the bride's side of the church. "I've had to listen to him pine over you for the last five years. If you don't make it official one way or the other, I'm not sure I'll be able to travel with Puck any more."

Sabrina's heart leapt and tears moistened her eyes as she heard her uncle's stamp of approval.

"I told him to say that," Puck said with a smirk though his pink ears betrayed his embarrassment.

Overwhelmed with what she had to do, Sabrina turned to Bradley apologetically. "Bradley, I," she began. She hesitated for a moment as Puck lowered himself to the ground. It was clear that the fairy wanted to hear every word she was going to say to her fiance. "Bradley, I'm sorry," she finally managed. "I thought I loved you enough to make this work, but—"

"But what?" Bradley asked as she trailed off. "I thought you wanted normal. I can give you normal."

Sabrina turned to look at Puck's hopeful face before she looked back at Bradley. "I thought I wanted normal too," she admitted. "But now I realize that I was just kidding myself." She pulled the diamond ring from her left ring finger, took a deep breath, and offered the ring back to Bradley. "I'm sorry, Bradley, but I can't marry you."

His blue eyes looked troubled as he accepted the ring. "You can't, huh?" He eyed Puck, and Sabrina could see how disturbed he was at the sight of the fairy. "Because of him?"

"Because of a lot of things," Sabrina said as she shook her head.

"But _he's_ one of them, isn't he?" Bradley finished.

Sabrina sighed softly before she nodded. "Yes, Bradley, I suppose he is."

Bradley sighed as he put the ring back in his pocket. "I guess I'd better wish the two of you luck before I make a quick exit."

Bradley reached out a hand to Puck who looked at it suspiciously for a moment and then accepted it. "Take care of her. She's special."

Puck nodded as he turned and smiled at Sabrina. "I know. She's the only woman I've found in four thousand years who ever made me want to grow up."

Sabrina blushed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Daphne prepare for the most enthusiastic bite she'd ever delivered to her palm.

Bradley smiled a sad smile, though it was clear that he didn't understand what Puck was talking about. He turned to Sabrina and reached out to shake her hand. "If you ever get tired of this—if you ever change your mind about normal, give me a call."

"Goodbye, Bradley," Sabrina said as she accepted his handshake. "Good luck."

He said nothing as he turned and walked out the side door of the church.

Sabrina watched him go with a small sigh.

"Are you going to be okay?" Puck asked softly.

Sabrina turned to him, unsure of what she was going to say or what she felt besides relief that Puck had indeed interrupted and ruined her wedding in exactly the way she'd feared. "Do you know how I knew I couldn't marry him?" She finally asked.

Puck's brow furrowed before he shook his head.

"I knew I couldn't marry him when I was disappointed that I didn't hear your voice protest our marriage," she admitted.

He broke into an ear-splitting grin and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Sabrina Grimm. Now hold on."

Sabrina's brow furrowed in confusion, but she did as she was told. She wrapped her arms tightly around the fairy who suddenly flew into the air. "Ladies and gentlemen and whatever else you are, you came here for a wedding, and you won't be disappointed. Meet us in Central Park—Daphne Grimm can give you directions."

Sabrina's glimpse down at her sister made her laugh. In order to give anyone any directions, Daphne would have to take her palm out of her mouth long enough to say something besides "wow" and Sabrina wasn't sure that the young woman would be able to manage.

"Shall we?" Puck asked. His breath tickled Sabrina's ear and caused a pleasant shiver to run down her spine.

"Shall we what?" She returned almost breathless from all the many twists and turns her wedding day had afforded her.

"Shall we have ourselves a wedding?" Puck said as he kissed her nose gently.

"Mm-hmmm," she agreed.

"Good," Puck said with a grin as he flew out the door of the church with Sabrina in his arms. "Because I had Mother fix the place up for us."

"The place?" Sabrina asked, confused.

"Faerie, of course," Puck responded.

They flew over New York City for several minutes, and Sabrina marveled at the sight. She'd always loved this city, and she was more than happy that she would have more than a few chances to see it this way with Puck as her husband.

"Oh, and I'm sorry I was late to your wedding," Puck said after a few moments.

"What?" Sabrina asked as she diverted her attention from the city below her back to Puck.

"Your wedding to What's-His-Name? I was going to be there earlier," Puck explained.

"Why?"

"Why was I late or why was I coming?" Puck teased.

Sabrina laughed. "Why were you late? Or if you want, why were you going to be there earlier?"

"Well, I was going to try to be there so I could say my piece during the whole speak now or forever hold your peace part of the ceremony," he explained. "But unfortunately, I left a little later than I expected."

"Why were you later than you expected?" Sabrina asked.

"Well, aren't you curious?" Puck laughed.

Sabrina blushed. She didn't think she was asking too many questions. After all, he'd asked her to expound on her "why" question earlier.

Puck smiled as he charted a course for the Hans Christian Andersen statue in Central Park. "I was late because I was detained."

"Detained by what?" Sabrina asked before she could stop herself.

"Coronation preparations."

"Coronation preparations?" Sabrina repeated in surprise.

"Yeah. Mother wants there to be an official coronation before I take over my "rightful duties" as King of Faerie," Puck explained as they arrived in front of the Andersen statue. "You _do_ remember how to do this, don't you?"

"Of course, I do," Sabrina said as she reached out and knocked on the statue. "Knock-knock," she greeted.

Instantly, she was transported to a lively Ever After bar and grille owned and operated by Mother Goose.

"There she is! It's Veronica Grimm's girl!'

The shout grew as a crowd gathered around Sabrina. Just then, Puck appeared beside her. "What's all this?" He asked as he turned to Sabrina in surprise.

"I'm Veronica Grimm's girl," she said by way of explanation.

Puck groaned before he spun on his heel and transformed into an elephant. As Sabrina eyed her wedding dress and the height of Puck's back, Puck wrapped his trunk around her middle and set her as close to his back as he could manage.

"Thank you," she said as she climbed onto his back as carefully as she could.

He raised his trunk and trumpeted in response, sending the Ever Afters scattering in all directions as he took his first step. As she swayed from side to side on the giant elephant's back, Sabrina felt like she was in the animated movie, _Aladdin_, except that she was parading through a building instead of the open streets of Agrabah.

Just then, she saw the small entrance to the kingdom of Faerie. "PUCK!" She shouted as they approached it. There was no way that she and Puck were going to fit through that doorway—not if Puck retained his shape as an elephant!

Puck didn't slow down at all, and Sabrina squeaked as she ducked and covered her head. It wouldn't help if they plowed into the wall, but she couldn't seem to explain that to her instincts—which were all thinking that she was crazy for considering marrying the being which would smash into walls with such nonchalance.

She was tense as she waited to feel the wall crumble around her, but after several moments of waiting, she didn't feel anything. In fact, she and Puck had stopped. To her surprise, the noise of the busy bar and grille had silenced. Sabrina poked her head up like a prairie dog poking its head out of the desert sand.

Above her was the most beautiful scene. Like Puck's bedroom in Granny Relda's home, this ceiling was exquisitely enchanted. Brilliant stars studded the midnight-colored sky. It took her breath away. "Oh, Puck," she whispered softly as her eyes moistened with tears she didn't know were wanting to be shed.

A ladder appeared to the side of Puck, and Sabrina climbed down it. She was careful not to rip the gown that she assumed she would be wearing for the "impromptu" coronation and wedding that Puck had surprised her with. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Puck spun around and returned to his natural fairy form. "I take it you're a fan of my mother's interior decorating skills."

Sabrina was speechless as she turned to her fiance. She was in a garden, more beautiful than any she'd ever seen. Where once there had been a long hall with many rooms as there had been in the castle the last time she had visited Faerie, now there was a large courtyard under the stars with the tender breeze of a September evening whispering through this paradise.

Puck grinned. "I'll take that as a yes."

"But the wall," Sabrina stammered as she turned back to face the way she assumed they'd come.

Puck wrapped an arm around her waist as he kissed her cheek. "It's an enchanted entrance, Sabrina. Size doesn't matter."

Sabrina, still overwhelmed by the sight of the castle, merely nodded.

"I believe you've met my brother, Mustardseed."

Sabrina was suddenly aware that Puck's younger brother, the fairy who had taken over ruling Faerie after King Oberon's death and while Puck returned to Ferryport Landing, was standing beside them. "Oh, Mustardseed. I'm so sorry. I didn't even see you. Thank you for the ladder."

Mustardseed nodded courteously. "I hear that's a symptom of being in love."

Sabrina blushed as she glanced over at Puck who grinned.

"Puck said something about a coronation?" Sabrina asked as she tried to change the subject.

Mustardseed nodded. "When Puck returned five years ago, I saw how different he had become—and not just physically. He was—humble. And considerate. It was odd to me, and I thought he had simply gotten ill."

Sabrina laughed softly. Only someone related to Puck would believe that illness had made him better tempered than he really was.

"But when he came to Mother and asked if he could take up residence in the land of Faerie, I realized that he was different. After all, he had disappeared so many times before without a thought for our parents' feelings that I decided to take notice. I offered him a minor position which I expected he would accept only for the title. But as the months and years went on, Puck began developing some wonderful programs for the citizens of Faerie. In fact, he began consulting your mother and Daphne on improvements which could be made in Faerie."

"What kinds of programs?" Sabrina asked with interest. This was the first she'd heard about Puck taking responsibility in his father's kingdom.

"Mostly Puck enjoyed putting together integration programs for those Ever Afters who wanted to integrate into human society without losing their identities as Ever Afters," Mustardseed said proudly. "It was an inspired idea. In fact, he created a whole new department here in Faerie. It's the Society Integration Resource Center. There, Ever Afters can find community resources that will help them integrate more fully into society."

"I wish I'd known about it," Sabrina said honestly. "I could have used that department to help Ever Afters with their legal issues."

Mustardseed looked at his brother with an amused smile and Sabrina turned to Puck. "What's going on?"

Puck's ears turned red as he tried to side-step the question. "Look at the orchids tonight, Sabrina. Aren't they lovely?"

Sabrina looked back at Mustardseed who grinned more fully. "The Society Integration Resource Center is really more of a reception area. Every so often, they print out a brochure with Ever After friendly resources available in New York City and in other areas of the world. Once you opened your law office, Puck insisted we put your name at the top of our list of legal resources. As far as I know all of our legal referrals have gone to you."

Sabrina turned a look of wonder to Puck. "And I thought you'd abandoned me for the last five years," she whispered as she shook her head.

Puck ducked his head in embarrassment. "How could I forget the girl who infected me with the puberty virus?"

Sabrina laughed softly and wrapped her arms around his neck. It was odd to realize that only a few hours earlier, she had been about to marry another man. As time moved on, it was increasingly more evident to Sabrina that there had never really been another place where she would fit more naturally than at Puck's side.

"I love you, Puck," she whispered as she kissed his lips gently.

"You're here!"

The announcement caught Sabrina by surprise, and she pulled away from Puck as she looked to find the voice's owner.

Sure enough, there was Titania, Puck's mother, dressed in a shimmering, long-sleeved gown that seemed to have been made of silver moonlight.

"Sabrina Grimm, daughter of Henry and Veronica Grimm and the only woman who could convince my eldest son to grow up," she greeted with a demure smile. "Welcome to Faerie."

Sabrina curtsied as well as she possibly could with the extra yards of fabric to which she was somewhat unaccustomed. "It's beautiful, Your Majesty," she said with a smile. "Absolutely ethereal."

Titania walked over to Sabrina and looped her arm through the young woman's. "When Puck came to me with his plan—to ask you not to marry this Bradley person but to marry him instead—I knew that Faerie needed to be reborn," Titania said as she walked slowly with Sabrina down the path of the garden. "Oberon would not have approved of the change, but I felt that at least for tonight, something more classical and simple was in order."

"Simple?" Sabrina asked with wonder. "It's exquisite!"

Titania looked pleased at the young woman's approval. "Thank you."

"All this for a coronation?" Sabrina asked as she turned back to Puck's mother.

Titania shook her head. "I would never do this for a coronation."

Sabrina's brow furrowed. "But I—"

"I would only go to this length if my oldest son was marrying the woman he's waited for all his life," Titania said with a tender smile. "The fact that he has agreed to accept the throne from Mustardseed is simply a reminder of just how good you've been for him."

Sabrina blushed. "But I didn't have anything to do with him accepting anything."

Titania chuckled. "Four hundred years ago, my husband and my son had an argument about marriage. It caused my son to run away from home—never to be seen again. Or so we thought." Titania stopped and turned to face Sabrina. "You brought him back to us. Yes, he was injured and we lost much during that homecoming, but he had returned home."

Sabrina swallowed down a bitter reminder of those days. Titania had lost the most during that visit to Faerie. Her husband and son were killed by the hand of a fairy they had all trusted—Puck's fiance. But more than that, Puck had returned with the Grimms to Ferryport Landing after he had recovered sufficiently from his injury. He had escaped the Barrier only to return to be trapped by it after he had been healed. Sabrina couldn't imagine how badly he had hurt his mother with such an act.

"I wish we had been able to stay longer," Sabrina managed.

Titania smiled sadly. "So do I, but that is in the past. What matters now is the present. And with the exception of a few business trips which Puck has taken with your uncle my son has returned to his rightful home. My son has returned to take his place as King of Faerie."

As Sabrina studied Titania, she suddenly found it odd that she'd been so afraid of the fairy when she'd first come to Faerie. Yes, Titania and Oberon had fought wickedly, and it was true that upon his death, Sabrina thought Titania had fallen off her rocker when she turned into a dragon and threatened to obliterate any memory of the kingdom of Faerie. But now, all she could see was a mother who loved her son and hoped to see him attain whatever happiness would be available to him.

"Um, excuse me," Puck said as he tapped his mother on the shoulder. "Mind if I cut in?"

Titania turned a gracious smile to her son and nodded. "I've said my piece. She is all yours."

As she turned to leave, Mustardseed approached her and began whispering something to her. She nodded, and Mustardseed led her away.

"Hey," Puck murmured. He touched her arm gently, and it was clear that he didn't want to intrude on her thoughts. Somehow, Sabrina knew that he just wanted to be near her. To share this moment—whatever it was—with her.

Sabrina leaned her cheek on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "It's so beautiful here, Puck. I don't ever want to leave."

"We don't have to, you know," Puck said with a small smile.

Sabrina turned to look up into his face. "I have no idea how this is supposed to work," she whispered.

"How what's supposed to work?" Puck asked. "The wedding? That's easy. We just stand up there while Mustardseed—did I tell you that he's got a license to marry from the State of New York?"

Sabrina shook her head.

"Oh, well, he does. Anyway, we just stand up there while Mustardseed—"

"Not the wedding," Sabrina said as she shook her head.

"The wedding night?" Puck teased. "If you don't know by now, maybe we should call your parents. I think it made him a little sick, but your dad did wonders in helping _me_ understand it all."

Sabrina smiled, but she shook her head. "No, Puck. Not any of that."

"Oh. Then what?" Puck asked.

Sabrina's smile faded as she pulled out of Puck's embrace. "Puck, you're an Ever After."

"The last time I checked, so were you," he reminded her.

"You're not making this very easy, Puck," Sabrina grumbled.

"I'm sorry. Go on," he said nodding for her to continue.

"You're an Ever After. And a fairy. In a little while, you're going to be the King of Faerie," Sabrina continued.

"Yeah. And?" Puck prodded.

"I'm just a Grimm," she said with a shrug. "I have a small law office and a rent-controlled apartment in New York City. You have—this."

She pointed to the magnificence of the enchanted scene. "With a flick of your hand, you could change this from summer to fall to winter and back again. I have to wait for them to come naturally. As the Earth rotates around the sun—like normal people."

"I'll have you know that it's not just a flick of the wrist," Puck pointed out.

"The point is that you have this—this wonderland that you can cultivate and grow. It's bigger and better than anything that you could ever have imagined, and yet you keep giving it up to hitch your ride next to my wagon."

"It's a pretty cute wagon," Puck teased as he kissed her nose.

"Puck, I'm being serious," Sabrina said as she pulled away from him. "You already gave all of this up for me. I don't want you to make the same mistake twice. I don't want to stand in your way."

Puck's brow furrowed. "Stand in my way? What are you talking about?" He turned in the direction of his mother with anger written in his eyes. "Did my mother say something to you?"

Sabrina put her hand on his arm to soothe him. "No, Puck. It's not like that. It just—it got me thinking. She's spent the last four hundred years without you. You're just now starting to accept responsibility. Maybe I shouldn't distract you from following in your father's footsteps."

Puck's features softened as he approached her. He placed a hand on her cheek with a chuckle. "You know, you really can be pretty arrogant sometimes."

Sabrina straightened in surprise. "What?"

"You think you can stop me from doing something? Haven't I thrown enough slime bombs at you to tell you that I'm not intimidated by you?"

Sabrina's mouth dropped open. "That's not what I meant at all."

"I know what you meant," Puck said. His eyes communicated to her in all seriousness that he knew exactly what she was trying to say. "You think that a family and a kingdom are two big commitments that could very well detract from one another if I'm not careful. And you're not sure I'm ready for such a dilemma."

Sabrina bit her lip. That's exactly what she was thinking.

"Well, Sabrina, I have news for you. For the last five years, I've been making the necessary changes to the structure of the government of Faerie so that _if_ I ever did accept the throne, I wouldn't have to work as hard as my father or his father before him to keep it running. In fact, that was why Mustardseed wanted to step down. He said that if he'd known earlier that his brother was a genius at organizational leadership, he would never have taken the throne to begin with."

Sabrina's eyes widened.

"And yes, my brother did call me a genius," Puck pointed out. "I didn't exaggerate—"

Sabrina put her finger on Puck's lips to keep him from speaking. "You spent five _years_ getting all this ready—for me?"

Puck nodded slowly.

"You sent me clients when I was just starting out," Sabrina whispered as tears filled her eyes. "You worked night and day to make Faerie a better place so that if you had to, you could have a family_ and_ be King of Faerie." She wiped at her eyes in shame. "And here I thought this wasn't going to work because we hadn't planned it."

"What are you afraid of?" Puck asked gently.

Sabrina felt the shield of strength that she had developed when talking about her job and her family's history with Bradley begin to fade away as she stood in Puck's arms. "I don't know. I'm afraid that we'll have children that we'll have to prepare for not just being a Grimm historian but also of being a ruler of Faerie. I'm afraid that we're rushing into things and that we haven't thought enough about it to be ready. I'm afraid that you'll want to live here, and that I'll want to live in the city. I'm afraid—I'm afraid," she whispered as Puck wrapped his arms around her. She began to cry into his chest as she felt his strength envelop her. Then, she looked up at him with teary eyes and swallowed. "I'm afraid I can't live without you."

Puck smiled. "Why don't we face those fears together?" He asked tenderly. "First of all, we don't know what the future holds. Faerie might become a democracy some day for all we know. Second of all, my brothers chose different paths, and so can our children. One of them—not necessarily the oldest, but maybe—might be interested in ruling Faerie. One of them might want to be a historian. Maybe neither of them will want to be historians or rulers. We'll love our children for who they are, not what they want to be. And as for rulers, I'm planning on being around for a long time, so they probably won't have to make that decision right away."

Sabrina felt oddly comforted by the fact that Puck had an answer for these questions swirling around in her head. It seemed like it hadn't been that long ago when he'd preferred to be moody rather than to talk to her.

"Now, I don't know about you, but I've been carefully planning this for a long time. Longer than five years. I started almost from the minute I met you, Sabrina Grimm. I've loved you for almost that long," he said as he tenderly pushed back a tendril of her hair that had fallen loose. "But if you want to wait, we can wait. I'll walk over to our guests and explain that I made a terrible mistake by pressuring you into something you weren't ready for, and we'll simply have a coronation."

As Sabrina considered his offer, he continued. "I'm not married to living here at the castle. This will almost always be my parents' home to me. I do need to come here pretty much every day in order to deal with the challenges that come from being King, but we can live in an apartment in the city if you want. I just want to be with you."

Sabrina opened her mouth, but he pressed a finger to her lips just as she had only a few moments earlier. "And I'm afraid I can't live without you either, Sabrina Grimm. The last few years have been as close to torture as I could imagine, but I knew that if you were going to establish yourself—if you were going to be the woman I knew you could be, I needed to give you enough time to learn who you were. And perhaps, to miss me."

Sabrina's smile was watery as she wrapped her arms around his neck once again. "Oh, Puck," she whispered softly. "What was I afraid of?" She pulled away and laughed. "Let's get married."

Puck looked relieved. "Oh, good. I was afraid that I was going to have to tell all those people that you wanted more time."

Sabrina grinned. "Maybe I should make you do that anyway. It still wouldn't make up for all those slime bombs, but it would be a start."

Puck growled as he reached his hands out to tickle her. "Oh, yeah?"

Sabrina giggled, realizing once again that she was experiencing a freedom in Puck's arms that she'd never quite experienced in Bradley's arms—the freedom to be herself.

As Puck's hands stilled and Sabrina rested with her back against Puck and his arms securely around her, Sabrina felt like she understood to some small degree the feelings that her parents had shared. She understood why Uncle Jake had been so devastated by Briar Rose's death and why Granny Relda had given up immortality to be with Grandpa Basil again.

Sabrina sighed softly as she marveled at how safe and loved she felt. It was hard to believe that the man holding her was the same boy who had once tortured her beyond imagination.

"Are you ready for this?" Puck whispered in her ear.

Sabrina closed her eyes as she felt his warm breath on her cheek. "I'm ready," she murmured contentedly. "I've been ready for a long time."


	5. Chapter 5

_Present Day_

"Wow, Mom, you were beautiful!" Emma breathed as she studied the pictures of her parents' wedding and her father's coronation.

Sabrina raised an eyebrow at the word "were". "Thank you, sweetheart, but I'd like to believe that I haven't gone out to pasture _just_ yet."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. You look amazing!"

"Well, that's one of the perks of getting married. It's kind of your job to stand there and look pretty," Sabrina said with a chuckle.

"Where were these taken?" Alison asked softly.

"In Faerie," Puck explained as he and his family studied the photographs.

"Is that where you grew up?" Alison asked as she turned to him.

It was clear that her bond with her father would strengthen as she grew accustomed to her wings, and the thought made Sabrina smile. A girl needed her father—especially when she was a teenager.

"Actually, no," Puck said as he shook his head. "I mean, not in this particular incarnation of Faerie."

"Incarnation?" Emma asked in confusion.

"It's kind of like a version of something," Sabrina explained.

"Oh," Emma said as she nodded.

"When I was born, Faerie was on a island that floated in the sky," Puck explained. "Faerie—the kingdom of Faerie—moved with us wherever we moved. When my parents moved me and my brothers to New York City, Faerie came with us. Now, when I talk about Faerie, I'm usually talking about the one in New York."

Emma's eyes were wide with wonder. "An island that floated in the sky?" She squeaked. "Why would you move from a place like that?"

Puck smiled. "It's a long story—and I'm not even sure that I know it all. I was only a hundred when we moved from there."

Alison's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "A hundred? You mean days, right?"

Puck shook his head. "Nope. I was one hundred years old when we moved from the island floating in the sky."

"If that's young," Emma began as the wheels began spinning in her head. "Then just how old _are_ you, Dad?"

"Four thousand years old. Give or take a decade," Puck said with a proud grin.

Alison, who had been sitting very near the edge of the bed, fell off in surprise.

Emma whistled before she turned to her mother. "And how old are _you_?"

"A _lot_ younger," Sabrina said with a wry chuckle. She turned to her oldest daughter on the floor. "Are you going to make it, Ali?"

"Do you mean to tell me," she began in a dumbfounded voice, "That I didn't just get wings? I got immortality too?"

"Actually," Puck said as he looked down at his daughter. "_That_ you got from both sides of the family."

Alison poked her head back up. "What?"

Sabrina chuckled. "It came as a shock to me too."

Emma's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait. If you're immortal, wouldn't you always know?"

Sabrina shook her head. "None of us, your dad included, are _actually _immortal."

Puck nodded with a small sigh. "Your mom does have a point there."

"What?" Alison asked as she leaned her elbows up on the side of the bed and stared up at her parents.

The doorbell rang, and Puck jumped up. "That's the Chinese! I'll get it!"

Sabrina chuckled as he hurried out of the room. She loved her husband—especially his creative maneuverings to get out of various responsibilities.

"So, uh, Mom?" Alison and Emma asked as they turned to her for answers.

"Honestly, girls, I'm not exactly sure how it all works," she admitted. "I just know that as Ever Afters, we can be killed under certain circumstances, and we can't be killed in others. We can live almost indefinitely in some instances and we can get sick like everybody else in others."

"Wait," Alison said as she held up a hand to pause her mother's explanation. "I get why Dad is an Ever After. He's in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," but you?"

Sabrina offered a thin smile to her daughter. "Well, that's where this very long story gets a bit more complicated," she said after a moment. Then, she turned to Alison in surprise. "How'd you know your dad was in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?"

"We read it in school," Alison said with a shrug. "I thought it was a little weird that my dad's name was Puck and that there was a fairy named Puck in the story, but I figured it was just coincidence. Now, I realize it's not. William Shakespeare was like the Brothers Grimm, wasn't he?"

Sabrina nodded. "A historian, yes."

"Wow." Emma's eyes were wide with excitement.

Just then, Puck flew into the master bedroom with two sacks of Chinese food in his hands as he grinned and set himself down on the floor. "I hope you're hungry—I got the family meal with extra sides of egg rolls and crab rangoon."

Alison stared at her father in shock.

"Alison, sweetheart?" Sabrina asked as she looked over at her daughter in concern.

"You really do have wings," she whispered as if she was just waking from a dream.

Puck nodded. "Yes, I do."

"I mean, I know you were flying with me just a few minutes ago. Yelling at me on my level actually was more accurate, but I never actually saw your wings. I was too angry. Too frustrated. Too distracted."

"And?" Puck prodded as he set the bags of Chinese up on the bed.

"They're just like mine," Alison said as she released her wings just like her father.

Puck nodded. "Makes sense. They did come from my side of the family."

"So, I'm a fairy," Alison whispered.

"Not quite," Sabrina said as she shook her head. "You're half-fairy and half-human. But don't ask me what that means. Your father and I are barely a step ahead of you girls at this point. This is going to be a bit of a journey for all of us."

Puck sat down on the edge of the bed and reached for the barbecued pork. With a pair of chopsticks in his hand, Puck began to eat directly from the carton. "You know, Sabrina, it might be time to take the girls on a little road trip."

"Road trip?" Emma asked with interest as she reached for the egg rolls.

Sabrina raised an eyebrow as she looked at her husband. "Road trip?"

"To visit Daphne."

Sabrina grinned. "I think that's the best idea you've come up with in a long time."

"A long time?" Puck whined. "You mean, ordering Chinese and putting you in a bubble bath was a long time ago?"

Sabrina leaned over and kissed him with a soft chuckle. "I love you."

"You mean, we're going to see Aunt Daphne?" Emma asked as she took a bite of her egg roll.

"I thought she lived too far away for us to visit," Alison queried as she reached for the fried rice. Unlike her father, she also reached for a plastic fork before she dug into the carton.

"Aunt Daphne lives in a vastly different world from us," Sabrina explained. "So, in some ways, she did live too far away for us to visit." Sabrina grinned at the prospect of seeing her sister and family again—not in New York as they came to visit her, but back home where they belonged. "But not anymore. Now, it's time to visit Ferryport Landing."


	6. Chapter 6

The first thing Sabrina noticed was the new sign that proudly proclaimed "Fairyport Landing: Where Fairy Tales Come To Life". It looked so official on the new, wooden sign that Sabrina wondered for a moment if she'd fallen asleep and awoken in some alternate reality, but a glimpse of her husband's surprise at the sign told her that she was awake.

"Maybe Daphne can tell us what happened," Sabrina murmured as she fought the urge to reach into the glove compartment for a dagger or a tire iron that she could use to fight off any attacking enemies.

Puck nodded, and Sabrina could recognize in her husband the same uneasiness that had settled over her.

"If Daphne had run into trouble, she would have called, right?" Sabrina murmured to her husband, hoping that the girls wouldn't overhear her and get concerned.

Before he could answer her, Sabrina shook her head. "Think about that for a second, Pea Brain," she retorted to herself in a perfect imitation of an adolescent Puck. "How often do you and your sister get into trouble where I don't have to bail you out before you can get to a phone?"

Puck turned to her, stunned, as they stopped at the first stop light in Ferryport Landing. "Is that what I sounded like for all those years?"

Sabrina turned red before she finally nodded once.

"Weird."

Sabrina inhaled as she tried to shrug off the worry that had come over her. "Just drive. I want to get to Granny's house and see how Daphne's really doing."

"Granny's house?" Emma asked suddenly.

"I feel like I'm in the story of Little Red Riding Hood," Alison muttered.

"Granny Relda—she was my grandmother. And she used to own the house that your Aunt Daphne lives in," Sabrina explained. She refused to comment on the Little Red Riding Hood sarcasm that Alison had shared. Someday soon—maybe even later today—Alison would meet Mr. Canis and Red. Then, Sabrina had a feeling that jokes, however clever or well-timed, about their story would not be tolerated well with her mother. Especially with the Big Bad Wolf trapped inside Red for the time being.

The streets of Ferryport Landing were quiet when compared with the busy streets of New York City, but they were alive in ways Sabrina didn't remember from her last trip to her sister's home. "Are those—tourists?" Sabrina asked as she saw various men, women and children going from one picturesque shop to another.

"It looks like Disneyland!" Emma exclaimed in wonder.

"You've never been to Disneyland," Alison said as she rolled her eyes. "Mom and Dad wouldn't take us."

"Alison," Sabrina said with a small groan. "Can you please try to be a little more pleasant? We're going to see your aunt. You should be excited!"

Alison rolled her eyes again and returned her gaze out the window.

Sabrina exhaled slowly. What she wouldn't give to help her daughter learn the same lessons she'd learned as a young person. The same lessons Puck had walked her through as she led Charming's army against the Scarlet Hand. The same lessons her father and mother had been reluctant to let her learn on her own. The same lessons that only she could learn for herself.

Puck's hand reached out and captured her hand in his own. He squeezed her hand as she turned and saw the comforting smile that he offered her. She returned his smile with one of her own, grateful that she had such a man, such a fairy, as her husband.

As they drove through the crowded streets of Ferryport Landing, Sabrina glanced around at the shops. They had all been updated—even since they'd first been rebuilt after the Everafter War of her youth. But it wasn't the modernized shops that surprised her. It was what they were named.

Geppetto's Toys. Goldie's Home Furnishings. Beauty's Pet Store. The stores kept coming, one after another. And tourists filled every single store to bursting.

Sabrina wanted to cry. What had happened to her now-beloved Ferryport Landing? What had gone horribly wrong in order to elicit such a flippant use of their storybook heritage?

They continued to drive to Daphne's home, and Sabrina could only assume what a fight Daphne had gone through to try and keep this from happening. She wondered why it had happened. Had Mayor White lost the latest election to someone sneakier and more nefarious than Mayor Heart? The former Queen of Hearts had merely tried, without much pretense, to evict her human neighbors from Ferryport Landing. She'd never gone so far as to exploit the Everafters in the community for socioeconomic gain.

The more she thought about her theory of an evil mayor running Ferryport Landing, the more she realized that had to have been the case. Nothing else made any sense.

Before she knew it, they were parking in the modest driveway of Daphne's home. Sabrina was surprised at how the mere sight of the Grimm family home, which had been remodeled after the Everafter War, made her ache for her grandmother. Tears instantly sprang to her eyes. It made her feel so foolish to have such sentiment for a house that she'd never actually wanted to live in. But here she was, feeling like she'd just come home.

She got out of the car as the girls piled out of the backseat and Puck stepped out of the driver's seat. She inhaled deeply. As concerned as she was, she did have to admit that she was enjoying breathing in the clean air here in Ferryport Landing. That was something she'd come to appreciate anew about the little town she'd so despised as a girl.

The front door to Daphne's house swung open and distracted Sabrina from her thoughts as her sister, now five months pregnant with twins, emerged as enthusiastically as she could manage with the cumbersome weight around her middle. "I can't believe you're here!" She cried as Sabrina walked quickly toward her younger sister.

Daphne wrapped her arms around Sabrina in a warm hug. "When I saw your car in the driveway, I thought I must have been dreaming! Oh, it's good to see you!"

There was something about getting a hug from her sister that could put the world right for Sabrina. Though there were many things on Sabrina's mind like her girls, her husband, the Scarlet Hand, and the many things related to her job as a fairy tale defense attorney, everything seemed to fall away at least for a moment as she hugged Daphne.

When the sisters had pulled away from one another, Sabrina studied her sister closely. How her sister had so much energy when she was pregnant with twins was beyond her—unless she was pretending to have this much energy. In that case, Sabrina knew firsthand how quickly she would exhaust herself. "How are you feeling, Daphne?"

"Oh, I'm fine," Daphne said, waving away her sister's concern. "Just fine." She turned to Puck and gave him a hug before she turned to her nieces and hugged them both. "Oh, I'm just so happy you're here!" She grinned as she clapped her hands with enthusiasm. "I was just about to make some lunch, so I hope you're hungry."

Daphne turned back to the house and led the way back inside. As she did so, Sabrina could see her talk to the door ever so quietly. It was clear that the protection spells Granny Relda had once put on the old house before it had been destroyed in the war with the Scarlet Hand were back in place though Sabrina doubted if the girls realized that their aunt was practicing any sort of magic. They probably thought that this small oddity was one of the many things that was special about their Aunt Daphne. To her credit, Sabrina thought that Daphne was one of the few people who could make magic look less terrifying and as close to a part of everyday life as making dinner or washing the dishes. Magic came as naturally to her as breathing came to everyone else.

As soon as everyone had entered the house and Daphne had closed the door, Sabrina turned to her sister. "We've already eaten, Daphne. I figured you wouldn't be in the mood to cook, so we brought sandwiches with us."

Daphne turned an annoyed look to her sister. "Sabrina, I told you, I'm fine! I'm pregnant, not an invalid."

Sabrina bit her tongue as Daphne turned to her nieces. "Since you've already eaten, I can only guess how uninterested you will be when I mention that there are some chocolate chip cookies on the counter. They're warm—just out of the oven."

Emma did a little dance in her excitement. "I _love_ coming to Aunt Daphne's house," she squealed as she hurried into the kitchen.

Alison rolled her eyes and followed her sister into the kitchen, leaving her parents and aunt in the living room.

Sabrina looked around as nostalgia welled up inside her. This house, though remodeled, looked almost identical to the one that Granny Relda had brought her to almost thirty years earlier. Oh, it was different in many ways.

For one, the books which had been recovered after the Grimm family home had been demolished by magical creatures escaping the Hall of Wonders were no longer lining the walls and piled higher than the television and bookshelves. Rather, they were neatly stacked in bookshelves in alphabetical order.

Knowing Daphne's husband as Sabrina did, it didn't surprise her that the books were so meticulously cared for. What did surprise Sabrina was how much she realized it bothered her.

"So, where's that man you married?" Puck asked as he turned to Daphne.

She grinned. "I'm glad you asked. He's putting on the final touches of the Ferryport Landing Museum."

Sabrina's head snapped up in surprise. "Museum?"

Daphne nodded. "Oh, Sabrina, I think you'll just love it."

Alison poked her head back into the living room. "If it's anything like the sign I saw on my way into town, and the string of Everafter-themed shops I passed by, I think she'll hate it."

Sabrina had to admit that her daughter was right, but when she looked back and saw the look of pain that lined her sister's face, she wished she could turn back time and keep from saying anything about Ferryport Landing's "facelift" at all.

"You hate it?" Daphne asked as she sank onto the velvet couch behind her.

"I don't _hate_ it exactly," Sabrina amended quickly. "I just—well, it took me by surprise. That's all."

"It doesn't help that the last time she saw someone write the name Fairyport Landing on the sign into the town, the Scarlet Hand had started taking over the town, and they were trying to remind everyone that they were better than average humans," Puck added from where he stood with his hand on his wife's shoulder.

Daphne had tears shining in her eyes, and it was clear to Sabrina that she had misjudged the little town's transformation. No one was trying to exploit the citizens of _Fairyport_ Landing—at least not intentionally.

But unfortunately, that left Sabrina was back at square one. Why on _Earth_ would someone want to make Ferryport Landing some Everafter historical site?

"Daphne, maybe it would help me understand if I knew why everything changed. I mean, why the big shift from being inconspicuous to becoming a tourist attraction?" Sabrina asked, limply. She rubbed her sister's arm in an effort to comfort her. "I just—I don't understand."

Daphne sighed before she turned an understanding look to her sister. "I shouldn't have expected you to understand," she said softly. "It's easy for me to forget that you haven't been here in over fifteen years. You don't know what happened. You don't know how hard it was."

"How hard what was?" Sabrina prodded gently.

"You remember when we left Ferryport Landing after the war—it was like someone had jolted the town with a new sense of vitality. Anyone who stayed was here because they _wanted_ to be here. Anyone who left had left because they were now free. There was a feeling that we'd all been through something so terrible that it couldn't possibly get any worse than it had already been. Everyone was so excited to start their lives—their normal lives—again because they knew that the future held new possibilities for them. No one was trapped in Ferryport Landing anymore. They were free."

Sabrina nodded. When the Everafters had been freed from their prison, so had she and her family. Yes, there at the end of the war, she and her family had been trapped in the Barrier just like everyone else because they'd become Everafters like everyone else, but for generations before that, the Grimm family had been tethered to Ferryport Landing with a special responsibility for what transpired within the confines of the Barrier because they were the ones who had commissioned its construction. It was a responsibility that Sabrina had loathed and resented, and now she was free from it.

"What no one realized was that after the initial shock wore off, things would change," Daphne continued. "Suddenly, the Everafters realized that they weren't going to be as free to show their true faces without the Barrier. They started to see the Barrier as a protection as much as it was a prison."

Sabrina's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"Well, it wasn't so much a problem for the human Everafters," Daphne explained. "But it was challenging for Hamstead's boys when they were growing up to keep a handle on their disguises."

"But anytime they slipped up, you could use Forgetful Dust," Sabrina countered. "Just like we did when we were kids."

Daphne shook her head. "Our supply of Forgetful Dust ran low after the War. When the Hall of Wonders was looted by the Scarlet Hand, we lost a lot of the things we kept in there—including Granny Relda's supply of Forgetful Dust."

Sabrina sighed. "That would make things tough," she admitted.

Daphne nodded. "It turned out, however, that Boarman and Swinehart were right. Humans came to Ferryport Landing in droves. Within five years after the War, Ferryport Landing rivaled its size before the War. And it kept growing until about ten years ago."

"What happened then?" Sabrina asked in surprise. She was more surprised that her sister had kept this all to herself than that these things had happened in the small town of Ferryport Landing. She had thought that she and her sister had retained a close bond through the years, but it appeared that she had been mistaken.

"Well, there was a pharmaceutical company that wanted to build a facility near here. We were thrilled. We thought it might be a way to help revitalize the economy which had begun to lag," Daphne explained.

"Were?" Puck prompted.

As Sabrina looked over to her husband, she realized that somewhere during the last conversation, her daughters had moved from the kitchen to the living room, still munching on Daphne's homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Daphne nodded. "We were thrilled—until we discovered where they wanted to build. Right where Charming's castle stands."

Sabrina sighed. "Of course they did."

"Charming's castle?" Emma cried. She turned to her mother with wide, pleading eyes. "Can we go, Mom, please can we go?"

Sabrina shook her head. "No, Emma. We can't."

Emma looked confused. "But it's Prince Charming! He's a good guy!"

Sabrina groaned internally. She was not looking forward to explaining to her daughters why they couldn't go to Charming's Castle.

Puck seemed to share his wife's reluctance to explain because he turned to the girls before she had a chance to say a word. "Girls, if you're going to listen to this conversation, that's all right. But you need to learn that one of the things about this community is that you can learn a lot more by being seen and not heard than by asking questions. Your mother and I will try to answer your questions on our way home, okay?"

Sabrina turned a grateful smile to her husband who nodded solemnly.

While she was still sure that what they had done was absolutely necessary, Sabrina often wondered what would have happened to her if Mr. Canis hadn't come and called for her to get out of the castle in time. Or what would have happened if she hadn't reached Puck.

Once in a while, she would even have nightmares about being trapped with the rest of the Scarlet Hand while Mirror carried on his murderous rampage and eventually escaped the Barrier all while inhabiting her beloved grandmother's body.

As if he could read her thoughts, Puck placed a strong hand on her shoulder, and she reached up to take it with one of her own.

Daphne turned apologetic smiles to her nieces before she turned back to her sister. "We tried to get them to build elsewhere, but they had changed their minds. They eventually began construction on a piece of property in Dayton, Ohio."

"And that changed things for Ferryport Landing?" Sabrina asked quietly.

Daphne nodded. "The humans didn't understand why we couldn't let them just take the land they wanted. We tried to explain that there was a dump site on the property that we couldn't in all good conscience give to them, but they didn't believe us. One by one the human families which had helped to revitalize our town left. As they left, they took businesses and jobs with them. Until a few months ago, we didn't know what to do."

"What happened a few months ago?" Puck asked as he slipped into the chair beside his wife. He reached over and took Sabrina's hand in his own.

Sabrina was grateful for the quiet strength she could feel from her husband in that simple act. It also warmed Sabrina's heart to see Daphne's small smile at the gesture.

"A few months ago, my husband came to me and said he'd been thinking about a few things," Daphne explained as she ran her left hand over her protruding stomach. Her modest diamond engagement ring sparkled in the sunlight that streamed in through the window. "He said that he was tired of being "smart." He wanted to prove to his father that he wasn't ashamed of hard work. That for the sake of our children, he wanted to get back in touch with his heritage."

"What did he have in mind?" Sabrina asked, nervous for her sister. She'd heard more than her fair share of stories of husbands who decided they wanted a change. In her line of work, it usually included a divorce.

Daphne smiled softly. "He wants to open a toy store."

Sabrina sighed in relief and then nodded her approval. "Well, he was a brilliant lawyer, but I think his father would be proud of his decision."

Daphne nodded her agreement. "That's what I told him. But his decision to return to his roots got me thinking. Ferryport Landing had tried to bury the past as if it hadn't happened. Everafters were trying to pretend like they were no different from anyone else. We'd lost who we were as much as we'd lost anything else. So, I took a plan to Mayor White and the city council."

"The plan to change the name to Fairyport Landing—where fairy tales come to life?" Sabrina prompted.

Daphne nodded. "That was just one part of the plan. Another part was updating the business community. Finally, we decided to start a museum. Touristy things like Cinderella's glass slipper, Snow White's poisoned apple, the Magic Mirror, and all that."

"Magic Mirror?" Sabrina asked as her eyebrows shot up.

"Not a _real_ one, of course," Daphne explained. "Only a few of the artifacts are _real—_and none of the real ones are magical. But the tourists don't know that."

Sabrina sighed in relief. "So, you decided to make Ferryport Landing a tourist trap to boost the economy."

Daphne frowned at Sabrina's choice of words but she nodded. "I was surprised to see how enthusiastic the Everafters were about getting involved. Mayor White and Charming came over to offer some suggestions, Goldie offered to decorate for free, and Pinocchio offered to make a replica of his marionette self." A soft smile appeared on her lips. "It was his first marionette since we were kids, and a step in the right direction if he wants to be a toymaker."

"No way," Alison murmured with sudden understanding.

Sabrina turned to look at her daughters only to see Emma doing a little dance of excitement while the blood drained from Alison's face. "You okay, Ali?"

"You're married to Pinocchio?" Alison whispered faintly.

Daphne turned a grin to her sister. "Your daughters catch on quick."

Sabrina laughed. "They're smart girls," she said proudly.

"So," Emma said as she turned to her aunt before anyone could say anything more. "How'd you meet? What was the wedding like? Was it romantic?"

Daphne laughed softly as she turned to Sabrina. "Now I know how all the Everafters felt when I moved to town." She turned back to Alison and Emma. "Why don't we go into the kitchen? I'll tell you all about how Pinocchio and I fell in love while I fix us some lunch, okay?"


	7. Chapter 7

_Sixteen years earlier_

_Daphne_

"By the power vested in me by the state of New York and by the kingdom of Faerie, I now pronounce you husband and wife," Mustardseed announced with a smile as he looked at his brother and new sister-in-law. "You may kiss the bride."

Daphne's eyes moistened with tears as she watched Puck wrapped his arms around her sister and kissed her. That was the kind of love that she wanted someday. Maybe not someone who would come and interrupt her wedding to the wrong man, but then, she assumed she wouldn't be quite as eager to get to the altar with someone "normal" as her sister. She'd never been one to rebel against her heritage as much as Sabrina.

Puck unfurled his wings and rose into the air with his arms firmly around his new bride.

A band began to play music, and Daphne turned to Red. Both of them seemed to be unsure about whether or not they could step down from their positions as bridesmaids yet or not.

"The ceremony is over," Mustardseed murmured as he turned discreetly to Daphne. "It's time to dance and celebrate. Whether we see them," he gestured with his head toward Puck and Sabrina who were still floating above them, "or not for the rest of the evening is entirely up to them."

His smile looked much like the mischievous smile that Puck would get whenever he had plans to spring a glob grenade on either Sabrina or Daphne, and Daphne chuckled. This was one of the few times that Mustardseed looked anything like his older brother.

The fairy turned from Daphne and toward Red. "I don't suppose you would like to dance?"

Red blushed before she nodded. "All right."

Daphne smiled as she watched Red leave. Someday, Daphne hoped that Red would be brave enough to risk having a relationship.

Somewhere through the years, Daphne had become the confidant that everyone confided in. Only a few days ago, Red had admitted her fear that if she didn't follow the same lonely path that Mr. Canis had gone down when he'd carried the Big Bad Wolf inside him that she would end up hurting someone. Someone that she cared very deeply about.

It had broken Daphne's heart to hear such concerns come from a woman who was as close to her as her own sister.

"You seem awfully pensive for such a festive evening, Daphne."

The voice drew her from her thoughts, and Daphne looked over to find a handsome man dressed in a dark suit standing beside her. He was tall with dark, curly hair and a broad smile. "You don't recognize me, do you?"

Daphne smiled. "On the contrary," she said as she shook her head. "I know exactly who you are."

"Really?" He asked as his eyes twinkled with amusement in the starlight.

She nodded. "Just look at Sabrina. Even after all those years of not seeing Puck, she knew who he was when he crashed her wedding."

"And you think we have the same bond as the newly married couple up there?" He asked with a smile as he motioned with his head to the enchanted sky where the couple was still wrapped in each other's arms.

"No," she admitted. "But I do believe you share some things in common with Puck," she said with a teasing smile. "For one, you were both wards of my Granny Relda while you were afflicted with what Puck called the puberty virus."

The man laughed. "For once, I think I agree with Puck's assessment of puberty. And to think I spent all those years hoping that it would one day happen to me."

Daphne grinned in appreciation before she dropped the pretense. It had been years since she'd seen her friend—at least as long as it had been since she'd seen Puck before the wedding. "How are you doing, Pinocchio?"

"I'm doing well, Daphne." Pinocchio said with a smile. "Better now that I've seen you."

The sentence filled her with an indescribable sense of pleasure and joy. "Oh really?" She asked, suspecting that she had begun blushing with flirtatious teasing that she and Pinocchio had been sharing over the last few minutes.

He nodded. He looked at her gown, a dark blue satin gown that had been paired with a cream-colored wrap, then he looked back at her. "I thought there was a rule about being more beautiful than the bride."

Now, Daphne had no doubt that she was blushing. "That's ridiculous. My sister looked like a princess tonight—especially when she was marrying the man she _actually_ loved instead of the man she _thought_ she loved."

Pinocchio seemed amused by her modesty, but he was silent as he reached out a hand to her.

She looked at it as if she didn't know what he wanted her to do with it.

"Walk with me?" He asked simply.

Daphne's heart began pounding in her chest before she finally nodded and accepted his hand. She pulled the wrap more tightly around her as they walked through the garden that had been host to Sabrina and Puck's wedding.

"So, what were you thinking so hard about when I interrupted your thoughts?" Pinocchio asked after several moments of silence.

"Oh, nothing," Daphne said with a shake of her head. "Everything. You know, it's a big day for Puck and Sabrina. I guess, it's not uncommon to start thinking about all the changes that life has in store for us—as a family and individually. I mean, Granny Relda's gone, Sabrina's married. The change isn't going to just stop there."

Pinocchio nodded. "You're absolutely right. Puck and Sabrina will be starting a family, I assume, and somewhere along the line, you'll get married and raise a family."

"Someday," Daphne nodded. She was too young to worry too much about that—especially with the promise of potential immortality before her. "But what about you? Have you found some forgotten fairy tale princess you're going to steal away with sometime in the near future?"

Pinocchio smiled appreciatively but shook his head. "No. I've just been traveling and learning. I've got a law degree from Stanford now. I thought I'd go into law."

"You'd be an excellent lawyer," Daphne admitted. "And Sabrina's always talking about how New York needs more fairy tale defense attorneys."

"I'll keep that in mind," Pinocchio murmured thoughtfully.

They walked in silence for a few more moments, and Daphne took the opportunity to study the gorgeous landscaping around her. She and Pinocchio were walking in the rose garden which was filled with plump rose buds that threatened to bloom at any moment. White roses were next to red roses which were beside pink, yellow and even lavender roses. Daphne wanted to bite her palm because of the beauty which surrounded her.

But one look at Pinocchio reminded her that she was no longer a child, and that she didn't want him to think of her as one.

"So, what are you doing with yourself these days?" Pinocchio asked as he caught her glance in his direction.

"Oh, a little of this and a little of that," Daphne said with a shrug. "I guess I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up."

"Well, you're only twenty years old. It took me several hundreds of years to decide what I wanted to do when I grew up," Pinocchio said as his eyes twinkled with that same amusement that she'd come to like so much in the last few moments.

Daphne smiled, but a part of her was bothered with the fact that he found her "indecision" so amusing. It wasn't by choice. For all intents and purposes, she was a witch. She belonged to a coven. She couldn't just up and get a day job, she had responsibilities—magical responsibilities that she couldn't shirk without something going catastrophically wrong.

"Well, it's not exactly that I don't know what to do with my life. It's that I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to let it pay the bills," she said after a moment.

Pinocchio nodded sympathetically. "I see your dilemma."

"I mean, it might not seem like much, but I'm a member of a coven. I have a responsibility to the other witches and to the community that we serve. On top of that, my grandmother bequeathed her house to me because she wants me to carry on her service to Ferryport Landing." She pulled away from Pinocchio as she continued. "It's not that I don't love Ferryport Landing or that I don't want to serve like my grandmother, but—it's that I want to choose what I am. I don't want destiny or anything else to make my decisions for me. I want to be Daphne Grimm—not just Relda's granddaughter or Sabrina's sister."

Daphne paused to take a breath and was suddenly self-conscious when she heard nothing in response from her friend. She swallowed as she turned back to face Pinocchio. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to throw that out there."

Pinocchio stepped toward her so that he faced her. She was surprised to see how dark his eyes became as he grew more serious. "Daphne, you never have to apologize for being honest."

Daphne's eyes widened in surprise. She felt like she had just thrown the biggest tantrum of her life, and somehow Pinocchio seemed to realize that it wasn't in her nature to complain, and that she would eventually sort out what was bothering her.

"Go ahead and say it," Pinocchio said in chagrin after a moment.

"Say what?" She asked, genuinely unsure of what he thought she wanted to say.

"What everyone seems to be saying to me these days," he said with a small sigh. "Oh, Pinocchio, you've changed. Oh, your papa would be so proud!"

Daphne could hear the pain in his voice even as he mockingly imitated the people who patronized him so as he returned home. "I wasn't going to say that," Daphne said softly. "I mean, I think it's true, but I was just grateful to have someone I could talk to."

Pinocchio offered her a ghost of a smile as he sank his lanky frame into one of the garden chairs that had been set next to a group of rose bushes. Daphne sat in the chair across from his and reached for his hand. "It's hard to come back to a place where people think they know you, isn't it?"

Pinocchio nodded slowly. "All they remember is the boy. All they remember is the child who destroyed the Grimm family home and who as good as killed his father."

"You didn't kill your father, Pinocchio," she whispered quietly. "That was the Scarlet Hand."

"Don't you remember," Pinocchio whispered in shame. "I was _in_ the Scarlet Hand. I sold out the Grimm family—your family—for the promise that I would be freed from my childhood." His voice broke. "I betrayed my papa and everything he ever taught me. He was right to be so angry with me when he died."

He wiped a hand over his face for a moment before he removed it and looked at Daphne. "I'm sorry, Daphne. We're at a wedding. I had every intention of asking you to dance, but I'm afraid I've burdened you with yet another Everafter's problems."

"You wouldn't be the first," she said with a teasing smile as she tried to lighten the mood.

Pinocchio offered her a grateful smile before he offered her a probing look. "Have you ever considered being an Everafter therapist?"

Daphne laughed. "The thought had occurred to me," she said with a laugh. "Boy, if I charged a nickel for every secret any had ever told me, I'd be a rich woman."

Pinocchio was silent. Daphne could read amusement in his face as well as seriousness she hadn't expected. Had he been serious about suggesting that she become a licensed therapist so that she could help the Everafters of Ferryport Landing with the duality of their lives?

The more she thought about it, the more Daphne realized that such a service was lacking in their small Everafter community. A smile appeared gradually on her lips as the idea took root. She was already doing the job—she might as well have the training and paycheck that came with it. And as a therapist, she could choose her own hours. And if a crisis emerged which required the reassembly of the Coven, Daphne could very easily explain to her clientele, if she worked exclusively with Everafters, what the nature of the crisis was.

Yes, this idea of her becoming a licensed therapist merited a little extra consideration.

She was jolted from her thoughts as Pinocchio spoke. "I think you should prepare your palm, Miss Grimm."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"I'm going to ask you to dance," he said with a small smile as he stood and extended his hand to her. "I want your palm to be ready for the enthusiastic bite you'll deliver to it before you proclaim excitedly that Pinocchio has just asked you to dance."

Daphne blushed.


	8. Chapter 8

_Present Day_

Sabrina smiled as her sister finished the story. It was a story that fit Daphne well, though it still made Sabrina, who had never been one for romance, want to gag. But that was probably because she and Puck had a completely different relationship.

Emma sighed contentedly as she rested her elbows on the counter and dropped her face into her hands. "And that's when you fell in love with him," she murmured dreamily to her aunt.

The ten-year-old didn't hear her mother stifle a laugh at the young girl's enthusiasm, and for that Sabrina was most grateful.

Daphne chuckled as she placed a platter of sandwiches and a platter of fresh fruit on the table. "Actually, no. That's when I thought there might be a possibility of loving him. I still hadn't fallen in love yet. I still had a lot to discover about myself before he and I could ever _really_ be in love."

Sabrina watched as Daphne turned to Alison on her way back to the counter. "What told me that he was worth considering as a suitor was that he helped me learn more about myself. He didn't tell me who he thought I was or who he thought I should be—he helped me see what he saw."

Daphne picked up a pitcher of lemonade and took it back to the table. "If it hadn't been for that conversation, I wouldn't have become an Everafter therapist," she said as she sat down.

"So, my mom's a fairy tale defense attorney, and you're an Everafter therapist?" Emma asked as her jaw dropped open.

Daphne nodded. "I've even been known to be an expert witness for your mom in the courtroom every now and then."

Sabrina laughed as Emma almost fell out of her chair in disbelief.

Just then, the door opened and Pinocchio entered the house. "Daphne, do we have—" He stopped as he walked into the kitchen to find Puck, Sabrina, Alison, and Emma gathered around his kitchen table. "I guess this answers my question then," he said with a smile. He walked over to Puck and gave the fairy a strong handshake. "It's good to see you again, Puck. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Pinhead," Puck teased.

Pinocchio rolled his eyes goodnaturedly as if he'd endured jokes about his name for an eternity before he met Puck.

"How's the proud father-to-be?" The fairy asked more seriously.

Pinocchio inhaled and exhaled, stealing a glance at his wife before he looked back at his brother-in-law. "Nervous. Anxious. Excited. Nervous."

Puck grinned. "Yep. Sounds like a first-time father."

"You would think that after having memorized Webster's dictionary and the Thesaurus, I would be able to come up with better adjectives to describe how I'm feeling," Pinocchio said with a laugh as he kissed his wife's cheek. "But they won't come. The minute I think about the fact that my wife and I are going to have not one, but two babies, I lose my rather extensive vocabulary."

Sabrina smiled appreciatively. As a young bride, she'd been unprepared for Puck's transformation when she'd announced she was pregnant with Alison. Suddenly, the Trickster King was hers to command. It didn't seem to matter what the perceived problem was, Puck was instantly up and ready to help her meet her need. Even when she didn't want him to.

Pinocchio sat down at the table as Daphne picked up a sandwich and put it on a plate which she placed in front of him. "I could have gotten my own sandwich," Pinocchio teased his wife with a small smile.

"It's not like I had to move very far to get it," Daphne returned with a chuckle. "Besides, you look like you've been working hard."

Pinocchio shrugged. "Mayor White wants the museum decorated and the exhibits finished by the end of the week so we can have the ribbon-cutting ceremony and dedication the week after. It's a bit of a tight schedule, but nothing we can't accomplish if we put our minds to it."

"Pinocchio, Daphne told me that you've decided to change careers and go into toy making instead of law," Sabrina said as she reached for a banana.

Pinocchio nodded. "I think it will give me more flexibility to help Daphne with the twins when they come."

Sabrina nodded her agreement. She knew how challenging it could be to raise two children while trying to maintain a demanding profession, and her children had come four years apart!

"Besides, it will save us a fortune in birthday and Christmas presents," Daphne quipped.

Everyone laughed appreciatively.

"So, what brings you here to Fairyport Landing?" Pinocchio asked as the laughter died down.

Sabrina turned to Alison, who turned red, at being singled out. "Honey, do you want to tell them or should I?"

Alison's ears turned flaming red, an indication of the greatest amount of mortification her mother had ever inflicted upon her.

Sabrina sighed softly before she turned to Daphne and Pinocchio, both of whom were studying mother and daughter carefully. "We told the girls about their unique heritage last night."

Daphne nodded as if she'd expected as much while Pinocchio looked mildly impressed. "I see."

Emma's eyes lit up as she turned to her uncle. "I think it's so cool that you married my aunt Daphne! Who knew I'd be related to Pinocchio?"

Pinocchio's eyes twinkled with amusement as he looked at his wife. "I don't know why, but she reminds me of someone. I wonder who it could be?"

Daphne brushed his teasing off with a smile of her own. "Oh, stop it," she chuckled. "I wasn't that bad!"

"Not by the time _he_ came around," Sabrina clarified. "But before that, you were pretty bad."

Daphne turned a mockingly wounded look to her sister as Pinocchio just laughed. "So, I heard," he said in a mock confession to his sister-in-law.

For a moment, Daphne endured the chuckles at her expense before she turned to her nieces. "Do you have any questions about what your mom and dad have told you? I may not be able to give you much more information than they already have, but I might be able to give you my perspective on things."

Emma, it seemed, had a list of questions she'd been dying to ask her aunt. "Can I meet the Everafters? Will I know who they are or is it going to be like a guessing game? Am I going to get wings like my dad and Alison? Can I have another cookie?"

The questions came out one after another in rapid fire. Emma didn't even breathe between them, let alone give Daphne or Sabrina a chance to answer the questions.

When she had finished, everyone seemed to sit in shock for a moment before Alison punched her sister's arm.

"Ow!" Emma cried. She turned to her mother as tears welled up in her eyes. "Mom!"

"Alison, don't hit your sister," Sabrina sighed. Then, she turned to Emma. "Emma, apologize for telling everyone about Alison's wings."

Emma sniffed. "I'm sorry I told them about your wings, but they're family. I didn't know it was such a big secret that I couldn't even tell our family!"

Daphne watched the exchange for a moment before she turned to Alison. "So, you got your wings," she said with a tender smile. "I'll bet that was a bit scary for you."

Alison swallowed. Sabrina recognized the look of silent toughness on her daughter's face. It was one that she'd seen many times on her reflection.

"You know, when your mom was younger than you are, and I was younger than Emma, your mom and I heard something that scared your mom pretty badly," Daphne continued.

Alison's interest seemed to be piqued, and while Sabrina was glad to see the sparkle return in some form to her daughter's face, she had to admit that she wasn't too thrilled that it had come at her own expense.

"Your mom and I heard a prophecy that she and I were the only hope of saving the world from a friend who had betrayed us," Daphne explained. "It was hard enough for your mom to accept that fairy tales weren't just stories but an actual part of history, so when we heard the prophecy that Sabrina and I would save the world, I have to admit that I was a bit afraid."

Sabrina cleared her throat. "We both were."

"We _all_ were," Puck corrected gently. "Although I had faith that your mom had what it took to win the war."

Sabrina turned a small chuckle to her husband. "Is that why you were yelling at me about wanting me to call you if you needed to save my life again?"

Puck grinned. "That was motivation, sweetie. I couldn't very well say I was worried about you! Besides, it worked, didn't it? After that, you saved _my_ life instead of the other way around."

She nodded pensively. "Yes, I do have to admit that you often have an odd ability to determine what I need most—even if it's not necessarily what I want."

Daphne cleared her throat, and the couple silenced. "I don't want to make you think that your mom and I were any better than you are. I just want you to know that—if anyone understands how you feel about Everafters and Fairyport Landing and all of this magic stuff, it's your mom."

Alison broke into tears and hugged her aunt. "I just want to be normal!" She sobbed. "Why can't I be normal?"

"The world is filled with abnormal people," Daphne whispered as she hugged her niece. "But some of them aren't as lucky as you are. You have a family who loves you. A mother who understands how scared you are and a father who knows how help you learn what you can do with your wings. You have an aunt and an uncle with a spare bedroom upstairs that you can use whenever you need to—assuming your parents don't mind—and you have a sister who wants to be just like you."

Alison's head shot up in surprise as Daphne turned to Emma. "Isn't that the real reason you asked about whether or not you would get wings? Because you want to be like Alison?"

Emma swallowed. "I think they're cool," she admitted. "I've always wanted to fly. Ever since I could remember, I've had dreams about flying over New York City and seeing Central Park from a bird's eye view."

Alison's jaw dropped in shock. "What?"

"Do you think that maybe, if I don't get my own wings, you could take me flying?" Emma asked softly.

Before Alison could answer, Puck stepped in. "Before Alison answers that, I've got a few things to say," he said seriously. "First of all, Alison isn't flying anywhere until she and I have gone over the rules of flying and run through a few lessons. Second of all, everyone gets their wings at their own time. Emma, you might not get your wings until you're Alison's age or you could get them earlier. They could just appear one day like they did with Alison or they could slowly develop over a few days, weeks or months. The truth is, we just don't know."

Emma developed a mischievous smile that mirrored the smile that had haunted Sabrina's dreams as a child. "I hope they appear when I'm at school! That would be so cool!"

Sabrina groaned. No, that would not be cool. It would involve paperwork, as much Forgetful Dust as Daphne could spare, and a great deal of therapy—just like it had when Puck had appeared in full fairy glory to crash her wedding to Bradley.

Alison seemed pensive as she sat back down in her seat at the table. Then, she looked at her aunt. "So, if you didn't fall in love with Pinocchio at Mom and Dad's wedding, when _did_ you fall in love with him?"

Daphne shared a look with her husband as if to ask if she should begin telling the story or if he should.

But to everyone's surprise, Sabrina began.


	9. Chapter 9

_Fifteen years earlier_

Sabrina was tired of sitting or lying in her bed, day after day, as she waited for her pregnancy to be over. It was even worse that as her mother and Puck had feared, she seemed to grow weaker with each passing day. She tried to tell them that she had fallen the other day because her feet had become unaccustomed to carrying her weight—not because she was no longer capable of standing.

But it was no use. Her mother had instantly called Daphne who was now consulting Baba Yaga and Bunny Lancaster about how to proceed. All because she was experiencing morning sickness twenty-four hours a day.

She felt ridiculous.

It would have been one thing if she'd at least been allowed to shower regularly. But no, Puck had insisted that she bathe like a little child if she was going to insist on being clean. So every night after he returned home from work, if he went at all, he drew a bath for her, and walked slowly with her from the bed to the bath. Sometimes, he would carry her if he felt particularly concerned about her safety.

She knew in her head that it was a sweet gesture, but it was driving her crazy. All she wanted to do was wake up, go to work, solve a few problems, come home and be normal.

There was that word again, Sabrina thought with a groan. Normal. As if she could expect to live a normal life when she was married to a fairy. Not just any fairy, mind you, the King of Faerie.

Just then, her husband walked into the bedroom with a grin on his face. She eyed him suspiciously. The last time he'd grinned at her like that, he'd broken up her wedding to Bradley. Only moments later, he'd whisked her to Faerie for their own wedding. "What are you plotting?"

Puck pretended to zip his lips. He wasn't going to say a word. Instead, he scooped her up in his arms and flew her downstairs to the living room. As he landed, Sabrina saw something she hadn't expected. The couch had been made up so that she would either be able to sit or lie down comfortably. On the coffee table were the phone, Sabrina's laptop, and a litany of other things she might need as the day progressed.

Sabrina's heart jumped into her throat. And to think that only a few moments earlier she'd been irritated with her husband.

"I thought you might be tired of the scenery upstairs," Puck said with a tender smile.

"Oh, Puck," Sabrina whispered as she started to cry. Her eyes didn't just mist over like they had when she'd seen Puck's elaborate efforts to prepare Faerie for their wedding without her knowledge of it or when he'd announced that he'd been working for five years to be able to meet all of his responsibilities as a King and as her husband and father to their children.

No, she wrapped her arms around Puck's neck and began to sob. Giant, hiccuping sobs that one would expect if there had been a death in the family, not some unexpected act of unconditional love like this one.

"Sabrina?" Puck asked after a few moments. "Are you all right?"

His voice was timid, and Sabrina could tell that her sudden emotion frightened him. To be perfectly honest, it frightened her too. The surge of emotion which had come over her was more than she thought she could handle, and it spilled down her cheeks like flood waters spilling out of a gutter which was helpless to combat the powerful tide.

"I'm fine," she sobbed.

Through her tears she managed to notice that he didn't look like he believed her. Truth be told, even _she _didn't believe that.

Puck sat down on the couch and held her tightly. "I didn't mean to offend you, Sabrina. Honestly, I didn't."

She pulled away so that she could look into his face. The look of concern on his face threatened to begin another round of sobs in her, but somehow she managed to stave them off.

"I'm not offended," she said as she wiped the tears away from her eyes with the back of her hand. "It's the best gift anyone has ever given me."

Puck's eyes widened incredulously. "Really?"

She nodded as her sobs began to fade.

"Then, why the tears?" He asked in confusion.

"I just—had so much—love in my heart for you," she managed as she placed a hand on her chest. "So much gratitude for this gift, so much shame for expecting the worst of you instead of the best, so much—emotion in my heart that I couldn't express."

Puck wiped the tears from her cheeks with a tender expression. It seemed to tell Sabrina that though he didn't have a clue what she was talking about that he still loved her. "And since you couldn't express it in words, it came falling down your cheeks?"

Sabrina nodded as another wave of emotion threatened to destroy her composure. She quickly blinked away a few more tears, hoping that would be the end of them, but Puck simply wrapped his arms around her and held her closely. "I love you, Sabrina Grimm," he whispered. "I don't always understand you, but I'll always love you."

A knock at the door surprised Sabrina enough that the tears which had been about to fall with increasing frequency were stopped.

Puck looked at the door as if he'd been expecting something. "They're early," he murmured to himself.

"Who's early?" Sabrina asked as Puck helped her get settled on the couch.

"You'll see," he said as he walked over and answered the door. Even Puck seemed surprised when Pinocchio stood in the doorway.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Pinocchio said meekly.

Sabrina wiped furiously at her eyes. It was too late for her to do her hair and makeup, but she could at least hope that she didn't look like a puffy-eyed, blotchy faced mess.

"No, of course not," Sabrina managed with a welcoming smile. "Please come in. Have a seat."

Puck closed the door behind Pinocchio as they walked into the living room. Pinocchio sat in the arm chair beside the couch, and Puck sat beside his wife. "How can we help you, Pinocchio?" He asked, mustering up a friendly smile.

Sabrina could tell that he was anxious for his other guests to arrive, and it seemed that Pinocchio had picked up on that vibe as well.

"Actually, I was hoping to be of service to you instead of the other way around," Pinocchio explained. For some reason, he directed his comments to Sabrina instead of to Puck.

"To me?" Sabrina asked in surprise as she leaned against her husband slightly. There seemed to be no real aid in combating her allergy to magic or her morning sickness except the comfort that came from his strong arms.

Pinocchio nodded. "Daphne explained your predicament to me. She also mentioned that you might be feeling stressed by the thought that you might not be able to provide the legal help you so desire to offer your fellow Everafters—at least not until after the birth of your baby." He smiled as if on cue. "Congratulations, by the way."

Sabrina's head was spinning. "Thank you. Now, what about me not being able to be a lawyer until after I have the baby?"

"As you know, I have received my Juris Doctorate from Stanford University, and I'm a member of the New York State Bar association. I would be honored to step in and take your clients until you're feeling well enough to return to work," Pinocchio finished.

Sabrina blinked. "You want to take over my practice?"

"Not take over," Pinocchio said as he shook his head. "Merely step in and cover for you while you take a leave of absence."

Anger boiled in Sabrina so hot that she couldn't stand it any longer. "I don't need a leave of absence! I don't need any help! I'm just fine!"

The blood was pumping loudly in her ears as Pinocchio's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

She felt power surge through her with the intoxicating feeling that she could do anything she wanted because no one could rival her power.

"Sabrina," Puck murmured.

He sounded farther away than she remembered, and as she looked over at him, she realized she had stood somewhere over the course of her rant. But oddly enough, she didn't feel ill. For the first time in months, she felt—hungry.

Puck put his hand on hers. "Sabrina, why don't you sit down and relax?"

"Sit down?" Sabrina growled. "Why should I sit down?"

Her voice sounded eerily reminiscent of the voice of the Big, Bad Wolf. Hoping to reassure herself that this was not happening, Sabrina looked at the decorative mirror that she had hung above the couch. When she saw with the face of a tiger staring back at her, she swayed as if she was about to faint.

"Puck," she whimpered as Puck sprang up and wrapped his arms around her. Her voice was slowly returning to normal, and she could feel herself shaking against his strong frame as the high from the power trip she'd just gone through ebbed away.

Puck turned to Pinocchio. "I think you'd probably better leave," he said soberly.

Pinocchio nodded. "I didn't mean to elicit such a reaction," he said apologetically to Sabrina who was clinging to her husband. "I hoped to help. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to assist you in any way." He turned back to Puck. "I'll show myself out."

Puck nodded as if it was a good idea for him to do so.

"What just happened, Puck?" Sabrina asked as soon as the door closed behind Pinocchio.

Puck sighed softly as he ran a comforting hand through her blond hair. "I think we can safely assume that was an unexpected pregnancy side-effect."

Sabrina sobbed into Puck's shirt as another knock came at the door.

"What does he want now?" Sabrina sniffed as Puck moved to answer the door.

"I don't know, but if he doesn't leave soon, I'll do my own transformation act and make him," Puck growled defensively.

Puck threw open the door, angrily, only to find Daphne standing on the porch with Bunny Lancaster and her seeing-eye dog. "Are we late?" Daphne asked nervously when she saw Puck's ferocity.

Puck relaxed somewhat as he shook his head. "No. Come on in. I, uh, forgot you were coming."

Daphne raised an eyebrow in concern. "I just called you an hour ago to tell you that Bunny and I had come up with something."

Puck nodded as if he couldn't hear her. "Come in, Daphne." He offered a hand to Bunny, and helped her into the house. "Your Majesty, there's a step here."

Daphne looked behind her as she walked into the house. "Was that Pinocchio I saw leaving just now?"

"Yes," Puck answered succinctly.

"Oh good, I was hoping he'd come by soon," Daphne said as she closed the door behind herself.

"Good?" Sabrina asked from where she sat on the couch.

Daphne looked up at her sister. Sabrina could see her sister studying her puffy eyes and her pale features "Are you okay?"

Sabrina nodded dismissively. The last thing she wanted to do was tell her sister what had just happened with Pinocchio—not if she'd sent him. "What were you saying about Pinocchio coming?"

"Well, we were talking the other day, and I mentioned that you were feeling too ill to go into the office," Daphne explained. "He mentioned that it could be devastating to a law office to be out of commission for a period of time. He said he would be happy to help your clients until you're ready to take their cases again. I thought it was nice of him to offer, so I just sent him over." She looked at her sister. "Is something going on here that I should know about?"

"Here, your Majesty," Puck said as he helped Bunny to the armchair that Pinocchio had just vacated.

"Thank you," she said as she carefully sat down. "I have to admit that if something's happened, Daphne and I should probably know before we tell you what we thought of—in case it changes what we're looking at."

Puck sighed and shared a look with Sabrina who nodded. "Sabrina, uh, Sabrina got angry, and her face transformed into the face of a tiger. Just like it would if she was—if she was—"

His voice trailed off, and Sabrina could read the fear in his eyes.

"If she was a fairy," Bunny finished.

Daphne gasped and her eyes widened. "But that's impossible."

"No, it's not," Sabrina said with a sigh. "I felt the same surge of power as I felt when I had the magic mirror in me. You were right about this magical pregnancy getting to me just like everything else."

"Then, I suppose our solution would do no good," Bunny said with a note of apology in her voice.

"Your solution?" Puck asked as he turned to to his sister-in-law for an explanation.

"I know Sabrina didn't think this was a necessary step to take, but we were going to suggest that we put her in an enchanted sleep. We know from past experience that she'll be fine until the baby is born. Then, you can kiss her, and she'll wake up. The threat to her life will be over."

"I see," Puck said as he looked over at his wife. He turned to Bunny. "And you don't think this will work?"

"Well, it might," Bunny admitted. "I just don't know how an enchanted sleep affects fairies."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Sabrina had to smile. Suddenly, she was more grateful than ever before that Puck had tasted Snow White's poisoned apple in the Book of Everafter.

"We happen to know from experience that it works rather well on fairies," Sabrina said with a small chuckle.

"Does it?" Bunny asked in surprise. "How do you know?"

"I ate your daughter's poisoned apple in the Book of Everafter," Puck said as he offered a reluctant smile of his own. "Sabrina had to kiss me before I would wake up."

"I see," Bunny said with a nod. "Then, I suppose it is still our best course of action."

Sabrina shook her head. "I'm sorry, Bunny, but I'm not going to sleep for five months. I'm not missing this."

Daphne's face grew serious. "Sabrina, we talked to Baba Yaga. She reiterated what she has said in the past. Unless you either use all the magic up within you or fall into an enchanted sleep, you're going to die before the end of your pregnancy."

"And this time, you can't use up all the magic," Bunny said softly.

Sabrina swallowed. She'd stared death in the face so many times before, but this time there was more than just her life at stake. There was the life of her child—her son or daughter. Sabrina looked at her husband for a moment.

She could see the pain on his face. He would miss her, she could tell. But the modicum of resignation in his eyes also told her that he was prepared to sacrifice her company for the knowledge that she and their child were safe.

"How long do I have?" Sabrina whispered softly.

"Baba Yaga suggests that we do this soon. Bunny and I brought the spell with us," Daphne said softly.

"Have you told Mom and Dad?" Sabrina asked as she turned to her sister.

Daphne nodded. "They said they'd bring Basil this afternoon. Mr. Canis and Red said they'd stop by as well."

Sabrina felt tears well up in her eyes again.

Puck turned to Daphne and whispered something that Sabrina couldn't hear. Daphne nodded, and Puck walked over to Sabrina. He scooped her up in his arms again and slowly climbed the stairs.

"I don't want to go to sleep," Sabrina whispered to her husband. "I don't want to do to you and our baby what Mirror did to my parents, Basil, Daphne and me."

"I know," Puck murmured as he walked up to their bedroom. He lay her down on their bed and sat beside her. He placed a hand on her growing belly. The joy and wonder in his eyes when he studied her stomach made Sabrina feel safe. Then, the joy turned to pain as he looked back up into her face. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I should have—we should have realized this might happen."

He swallowed and then set his face in determination. "This is the first and the last baby for us, Sabrina. I'm not going to risk losing you again." His eyes went back down to her stomach and then back up to her face. "Not even for something so wonderful as a child."

Sabrina swallowed down her own emotion before she reached a hand up to his face and caressed his cheek. "Who's going to keep you from terrorizing Faerie with all your practical jokes while I'm asleep?" She asked with a teasing smile.

He laughed mirthlessly. "I guess that's something to look forward to."

Sabrina smiled sadly. "I'll be looking forward to hearing all about them."


	10. Chapter 10

_Present Day_

"So, you were asleep?" Alison asked in surprise. "Like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty?"

Sabrina nodded. "For five months before you were born."

The girls looked astounded for a moment before Emma turned to her mom. "What does this have to do with Aunt Daphne falling in love with Pinocchio?"

Daphne shared a look with her husband before she turned to her niece and grinned.

* * *

_Fifteen years earlier_

Daphne was nervous. With each family member's arrival, Daphne's anxiety rose. It was starting to look more like Sabrina was going to die than that she was just going to be put to sleep until after the birth of her child. First, her parents had come with Basil. Red and Mr. Canis had followed. The house was filled with family who wanted to say goodbye to Sabrina until she awoke.

And with every ticking moment, Daphne realized that she was that much closer to being like Mirror by imposing upon her sister an enchanted sleep that would steal five or six months of her life.

What she wouldn't give not to be the one to do this, but given Sabrina's emotional state, Daphne didn't think it would be wise to call Baba Yaga. Especially since the old crone had been threatening to eat Sabrina for the last fourteen years.

So, the task of enchanting Sabrina fell to Daphne, and she was dreading the very thought of it. It made her stomach tighten with anxiety. The very thought of her sister being put in an enchanted sleep made her want to throw up.

Daphne walked into Sabrina and Puck's master bedroom to see Basil, Red, and her mother sitting on the bed with Sabrina and Puck while her father stood with Mr. Canis in one corner. Sabrina was on the phone, presumably with Uncle Jake.

Daphne walked over to her father, and tried to appear more confident than she really felt. "So, I'm ready whenever she is."

Henry Grimm nodded. "I have to admit—if I never see another person put under an enchanted sleep for the rest of my life, it will be too soon."

Daphne shuddered involuntarily. "I don't blame you."

"Sabrina expressed an interest in speaking with Pinocchio," Mr. Canis said with a sober eye. "I would call him, but Sabrina's been on the phone with Jake for the last half an hour."

"Jake called her almost immediately after she told Puck she wanted to apologize to Pinocchio—whatever that's about," Henry clarified.

Daphne nodded grimly as she pulled out her cell phone. "I'll call him."

She walked out of the bedroom, selected Pinocchio's number from her contact list, and put the phone to her ear.

The phone rang twice before she heard Pinocchio's voice answer, "Hello?"

With the sound of his voice, Daphne felt an unexpected surge of relief at hearing his voice and a surge of emotion as she remembered why she was calling. "Um, Pinocchio, it's me, Daphne."

"I thought I saw your name on the caller ID," he greeted. Daphne could hear the small smile in his voice. "How are you?"

Daphne exhaled slowly. "I'm, uh, I'm actually calling for Sabrina. She wanted to know if you'd stop by the house."

Pinocchio laughed as if Daphne was out of her mind. "The last time you asked me to visit your sister, she tried to bite my head off. And I'm only slightly exaggerating. Have you ever seen the eyes of a hungry tiger? I'm not exactly eager to have that experience again."

"So, _you're_ the one that got the tiger head," Daphne said with a small sigh. She rubbed her forehead warily. "I think Sabrina wants to apologize for that."

"Already?" Pinocchio asked in surprise.

Daphne sighed. "It seems that Sabrina's reaction to magic is complicating this pregnancy. Baba Yaga, Bunny Lancaster and I believe that we need to put her in an enchanted sleep to save her life so that she can finish out this pregnancy. She didn't know that when you were here. I mean, we had tried to warn her that it was a possibility, but you know Sabrina. She tends to take forever to get through denial."

"Ah, so I got the anger stage prematurely," Pinocchio said wryly.

Daphne swallowed. "I'm not going to make excuses for her behavior, Pinocchio. I'm just extending the invitation."

There was a pause before Pinocchio spoke again. "How are you doing, Daphne?"

Daphne wasn't doing well, but she couldn't tell anyone that yet. Not while her sister was in the next room saying her farewells for the next five or six months to everyone she'd ever loved. "I'm fine," she insisted. "Now, are you coming or should I tell Sabrina to write you a note and drop it in the mail?"

"I'm just a couple of blocks down from your sister's brownstone," he said softly. "I just finished up with a client, so I'll be there in a few minutes."

Daphne had to swallow down the emotion that bubbled up in her as she whispered a simple, "I'll see you then."

She put the phone back in her pocket and took a moment to breathe deeply. After she felt herself relaxing a little more, she forced a smile to her face and walked back into her sister's room.

Sabrina was off the phone now, and she looked up at Daphne as she walked into the room. It was odd to see peace and acceptance on her sister's face. It was as if all her fears and regrets about what was coming were gone.

Unfortunately, Daphne couldn't say the same thing.

"Pinocchio's on his way," Daphne informed her sister. "He was just a few blocks down the road, so he should be here soon."

"Thanks for calling him, Daphne," Sabrina said with a grateful smile. "I wouldn't blame him if he didn't come, but it will be good to apologize to him in person."

Daphne nodded somewhat curtly. Sabrina's casual reminder that she wouldn't be around in their daily lives for the next few months made the knot in Daphne's stomach tighten. She forced the thoughts out of her mind with a slight cough to try and fight the lump that had just appeared in her throat.

She could feel her mother's worried gaze on her. Her parents had enough to worry about with Sabrina, and Daphne didn't want them to worry about her. She turned away from her mother's gaze and looked over at her sister. "So, what did Uncle Jake have to say?"

"Just the usual stuff. He hopes I get better, he wishes there was another way, some of the best princesses who ever lived have had to endure enchanted sleep...all that," Sabrina said with a small chuckle.

Daphne had to smile at least a little. Uncle Jake had started to be more like himself after Sabrina's wedding. Yes, Daphne had no doubt that thirteen years of traveling around the globe to find magical artifacts had helped—as well as working alongside Puck for that amount of time. Who couldn't develop a sense of humor around Puck?

The doorbell rang, and Daphne turned back toward the door. "That's probably Pinocchio. I'll be right back."

Sabrina nodded. "Thanks again."

Daphne merely nodded as she walked out of the room and down the stairs.

Sure enough, there behind the door stood Pinocchio. He smiled at her as she opened the door. "Hi."

"Hi," she returned.

He studied her for a moment with a gaze that made her feel like he could see everything she was trying to hide. "You know, I could tell there was something bothering you on the phone. Now that I'm here, I'm sure of it. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said as she shook her head. "Sabrina's upstairs. She was happy to hear you were willing to come back after this morning."

Pinocchio shrugged. "I told her that if she needed anything that she could call. So, here I am."

"Then, let's go. The sooner we get everything squared away, the sooner I'll feel better about this whole thing."

As they walked up to the bedroom, Pinocchio saw Bunny Lancaster sitting in the armchair he'd sat in staring straight ahead as if she was viewing something in the room that no one else could see. As if everyone else was blind instead of her.

"Has she been there long?" Pinocchio whispered to Daphne.

"She came with me to break the news to Sabrina. Since Sabrina wants to sleep in her own bed instead of the couch, and it's up here, Bunny said she'd wait downstairs. She's really just here in case I need some pointers."

"_You're_ going to put your sister in this enchanted sleep?" Pinocchio asked with wide eyes.

"Who else did you think was going to do it?" She asked as if it was perfectly natural for her to put her sister into a deep sleep that could only be broken by a kiss from her true love.

"I just didn't realize it was going to be you, that's all," he said seriously. "No wonder you're a little off."

"What do you mean I'm a little off?" Daphne asked as she tried to maintain an even head. As had been happening more frequently since her sister's wedding last year, Pinocchio's gaze made Daphne feel like she couldn't hide anything from him. "I'm doing what I always do."

"Pretending you don't need anything when your sister's needs seem more pressing?" Pinocchio said quietly.

Daphne stopped as if he'd just exposed her most precious secret. "What are you talking about?" She whispered.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Pinocchio prodded gently.

Daphne's voice shook with emotion. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Daphne. Low maintenance doesn't mean no maintenance."

"I don't have time for this. Sabrina doesn't have time for this," Daphne said as she turned back to her sister's room.

"Daphne."

She turned back to look at Pinocchio as tears welled up in her eyes. "Please," she whispered. "I can't do this right now. I have to be strong. I have to go in there as if nothing is wrong."

"But something _is_ wrong," Pinocchio reminded her. "Your sister is going to be put in an enchanted sleep to save her life. And it's going to affect you as much as it's going to affect any of the rest of us."

"But if I'm going to be the one to put her under the spell, I need to look completely comfortable with this. Just like a doctor or a nurse," Daphne explained.

"If you were a doctor or a nurse, no one in their right mind would make you do this to your own sister," Pinocchio argued.

Daphne swallowed. He had a point, even though she didn't like it. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I have to do this, Pinocchio. My sister's life depends on it."

Pinocchio nodded. "Just don't pretend that this isn't supposed to be so hard. We all know your relationship with your sister is precious to you, so we expect that this is going to be hard for you. Just let us—let me—be there for you when you don't need to be strong anymore."

Daphne hesitated for a moment before she nodded. "Okay."

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. His strong arms seemed to tell Daphne that everything was going to be all right even though the world seemed to be falling apart at the seams. "Are you ready?" He whispered after a few moments.

Daphne nodded. "I am."

They walked into the room, his arm still firmly around her waist as they walked as if he would be able to protect her from the challenges that lay ahead.

"So, it _was_ Pinocchio," Sabrina said as Puck helped her to sit up.

Daphne studied her sister. It was clear from her pale features and how much she was leaning on her husband for support that Sabrina was trying to appear brave just as much as Daphne was, though probably for slightly different reasons. Sabrina had always been the strong one—the resourceful one. Her life had been on the line more than once, but Sabrina had always handled danger with grace. After all, she had called herself Queen of the Sneaks for so long that it was expected she would get into a trouble once in a while.

But this was different. This wasn't some villain who was trying to destroy their family. It was Sabrina's body rebelling against her magical marriage as forcefully as Sabrina, herself, had rebelled against her heritage.

Daphne shook her thoughts from her mind as she stepped out of Pinocchio's embrace. "Yes, he's here."

Sabrina seemed to study her sister's face for a moment before she looked back over at Pinocchio. "I wanted to apologize for this morning. I lost my head for a moment."

Puck broke into a reluctant smile as Pinocchio shook his head. "Yeah, I noticed that."

"I overreacted," Sabrina continued. "Daphne was right to let you know that I needed help. And I'd like to take you up on your offer. I'll be asleep for about six months, and then, I'll be on maternity leave for another little while, so I can't tell you exactly how long this is going to take, but I need some help."

"I'd be honored," he said as he nodded.

"There's no one else that I trust with my clients," Sabrina said earnestly.

"That's high praise coming from you," Pinocchio said humbly. "I'll do my best to keep your clients happy while you're sleeping."

Sabrina offered a grateful smile to the Everafter before she turned to her sister. "Okay, Daphne. I think I'm ready."

The knot in Daphne's stomach tightened. "Uh, then, I, uh, I guess I need everyone to leave. I won't be able to predict how this works on you if you don't leave."

One by one, the bystanders offered Sabrina a hug and walked out of the room. First, Basil, Mr. Canis, and Red. Then, Henry and Veronica.

As Puck said a goodbye to his wife, Pinocchio turned to Daphne and wrapped her up in a hug. "I'll be outside when you're finished," he whispered into her ear. As he cradled the back of her head in his hand, she felt so safe and loved. "You're trembling," he murmured softly. "Why are you trembling?"

"I don't want to be like him." Daphne wept softly into his chest. "He did this to my family before. I don't want—I don't want to be like him."

Pinocchio held her more tightly. "You could never be like Mirror," he whispered. "You know too much about love. How to love. What it feels like to be loved. You're doing this to save your sister—not to get anything out of it for yourself."

Daphne choked back tears as she pulled away slightly. "I'm going to miss her," she whispered.

Pinocchio offered her a tender smile as he wiped the tears away from her cheeks. "She'll be back. And in the meantime, if you need to talk to someone, you can call me. If you need something, you can ask me. I'll take care of you, Daphne Grimm. Just like your sister took care of you while your parents were under their own enchanted sleep."

A comforting warmth washed over Daphne as she realized how sincere he was in his promise.

"I love you, Daphne. I have since I saw you again at your sister's wedding," he admitted. "I know it's a poor time to admit it, but whether you feel the same way about me or not, I want you to know that I'll do anything for you."

Daphne's heart fluttered. So many men had said that they loved her, but she'd never felt like this with any of them. Daphne looked back at her sister and Puck who were still holding one another, and then she looked out the door of the bedroom to see her parents holding each other in much the same manner. For once, she felt like she had the same kind of love in her life—a love that would strengthen her when she faced her battles and comfort her when she came home from them.

"I love you too, Pinocchio."

* * *

_A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is late. I don't know why, but this chapter just didn't want to be written. I had to fight with this one more than I've had to fight with the others. Anyway, it's here now, so I hope you enjoyed it._


	11. Chapter 11

_Present Day_

"Aw," Emma cooed dreamily.

Sabrina chuckled at her youngest daughter's enthusiasm. She remembered the day well. Though she'd been wrapped up in her own worries at the time, Daphne and Pinocchio's closeness had not escaped her notice. She was just glad that after all this time, everything had worked out for the best—for all of them.

Daphne smiled as Pinocchio laced his fingers with his wife's. "I thought I was pretty special to have a guy who knew what I needed and when I needed it."

"Did you get married right away?" Emma demanded.

Daphne shook her head. "Your mom was asleep by the time I had a chance to really figure out what had just happened, and once she was asleep, Pinocchio was inundated with so many new cases that we hardly got to see each other."

"Inundated?" Emma asked with a furrowed brow.

"It means overwhelmed," Daphne explained. She turned to her sister and blushed. "Oops. I guess I should have let you answer that one—for old times' sake."

Sabrina laughed. "I think I'll survive this once."

"Your mom was my dictionary when I was growing up," Daphne explained as the girls gave her an odd look.

"Ah," Emma said with a nod as if this explained everything.

The doorbell rang, and Daphne turned to look in the direction of the door. "Were you expecting someone?" She asked as she turned to her husband.

"Actually, I might be," Pinocchio said as he rose.

"You might be?" Daphne asked in confusion. "You mean you don't know for sure?"

"When I left the museum this morning, it was because Charming wasn't sure he liked the layout of the exhibits. He wanted to check in with Snow and Goldie before he approved any final exhibit layouts."

"Which means that he's probably here now to discuss them," Daphne said as she nodded knowingly.

"Yep," Pinocchio said as he walked out into the living room.

"Prince Charming's coming here?" Emma cried in excitement and dismay. "I'm not ready! Look at my hair!"

"Shall I get the fairy godmother wand?" Daphne asked with a wry chuckle as she sat back in her chair and rested a hand on her stomach. It was clear she wasn't going to be leaving her chair anytime soon.

"Fairy godmother what?" Alison asked as her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Sabrina chuckled as Puck grinned. "Oh, man! Those things are awesome!" He exclaimed. "I once saw Grendel in a tutu thanks to your aunt Daphne!"

Daphne grinned at the memory.

"Admit it," Sabrina said with a teasing note in her voice. "You only like fairy godmother wands because of what happened at Morgan and Seven's wedding."

Puck grinned in satisfaction at the memory. "Yep. Of course, your dad had to kill the mood."

Daphne laughed. "That's Dad for you."

Just then, the sound of an Englishman's voice echoed through the house. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to have company, Pinocchio? I might have come at a different time!"

The voice was instantly recognizable to Sabrina. Well, the annoyance was recognizable at any rate. She exchanged an eye roll with her husband and a shake of the head with her sister. "How can you put up with him living so close by?" She whispered.

Daphne giggled. "Mayor White makes up for it—most of the time."

Sabrina looked dubious as Pinocchio walked into the kitchen, followed by a tall, handsome man with chiseled features that gave him a commanding presence.

"Sabrina," he greeted without cracking even the slightest hint of a smile. "I see you've come back to _Fairy_port Landing." Sabrina wondered if his disdain for the town's renovations was as obvious to anyone else as it was to her. For nearly two hundred years, Ferryport Landing had been the closest thing Charming had to a kingdom, and now because of forces outside of his control, it was changing. Sabrina was sure he didn't like it one bit.

Charming glanced over at Puck with suspicious distrust. "What's _he_ doing here?" Charming demanded.

Daphne looked up at the imposing figure. "_He _is Sabrina's husband. You were at the wedding. Don't you remember?"

"How could I not?" Charming said as he turned a sarcastic smile to Daphne.

Sabrina managed an unenthusiastic smile. "Nice to see you too, Charming."

"_That's_ Prince Charming?" Alison sounded as disappointed as Emma looked.

"Oh, not this again," Charming groaned. "Do you know how many generations of Grimms have uttered that same sentence to me in my lifetime? More times than I care to admit."

"Charming, I'd like you to meet our daughters, Alison and Emma," Puck said as he unfurled his fairy wings for the prince like a peacock unfurled his feathers in competition with the other peacocks. "Girls, meet William Not-so-Charming."

"Didn't we deal with your grudge against the Grimms about twenty-nine years ago when we saved Ferryport Landing from the Scarlet Hand and we were all fighting on the same side?" Sabrina reminded him.

Charming managed a thin smile. "I'm sorry. I haven't made much of a first impression, have I?" He turned to the girls. "Welcome to Ferryport Landing. My name is William Charming, and I'm pleased to meet you."

He bowed low and took Alison's hand in his. He kissed the back of it with the practiced ease of a gentleman. Then, he did the same for Emma.

As he stood, he looked over at Sabrina. "Is that better?"

"It's a start," Sabrina said noncommittally.

"What did you need?" Daphne asked as she looked up at the former mayor.

"I had something to discuss with your husband, but if you have company, I'm sure it can wait. After all, it's not like the fate of the world is hanging in the balance," Charming said as he waved off the query.

He turned back to Sabrina and softened slightly. "I'm sure Snow would love to see you, and so will the girls if you're going to be in town long."

Sabrina looked at Puck who shrugged. "We actually haven't made any formal decisions on how long we're going to be here yet."

Emma's eyes pleaded with her mother to let her meet the famous Snow White before they left. Sabrina smiled at her daughter's enthusiasm as she amended her statement. "But I'm sure we'd love to stop by before we leave."

Charming nodded. "I'll be sure to inform Snow." He turned to Daphne and nodded formally. "I suppose I'll be off then." He turned to Pinocchio. "Are you coming back to the museum this afternoon?"

Pinocchio nodded. "I have a few things I want to do before the painters come in tomorrow."

"I'll discuss these plans with you then," Charming said with a nod that gave his approval to the plan. He turned back to the girls. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer, but I have a lot of things to get done before we open the Fairyport Landing Museum. Very important work, girls. It was a pleasure to meet the daughters of such infamous past residents as Sabrina Grimm and Puck, the Trickster King. May you be _nothing_ like them," he said as he strode out of the room.

As he left, Puck turned to his wife. "I think that's the nicest thing he's ever said to me."

Sabrina chuckled before she turned to her sister. "Obviously, Charming's got something on his mind. Do you know what it is?"

"Even if I did, I wouldn't be able to tell you," Daphne reminded her. She heaved herself out of the chair and walked over to the sink where she filled her cup with water.

"Doctor-patient confidentiality?" Sabrina asked in surprise.

"Prince Charming's in therapy?" Alison gasped.

"I didn't say anything," Daphne said as she turned a warning look to both her sister and her niece. "And it's going to stay that way."

"If you ask me," Pinocchio said quietly. "I'll bet that it's not easy to go from the commander of the Everafter army to looking at paint swatches for a museum that represents everything he despises about the human-Everafter interaction."

Sabrina nodded thoughtfully. "He hasn't tried to get another job since the Everafter War?"

"He's tried," Daphne admitted. "But do you remember how devastated he was after Mayor Heart won the election?"

Sabrina nodded. Seeing Charming in such depression had shaken her to the very core.

"He's not that bad these days—he can't be with Mayor White as his wife," Daphne explained.

"Snow White's the mayor?" Emma asked as she began dancing in her seat.

"What has he tried to do?" Alison asked as she carefully joined the adult discussion.

"A number of things actually," Pinocchio said with a small chuckle. "First, there was his stint as a construction worker with Boarman and Swineheart Construction. That didn't go well."

Sabrina grimaced. Of course it hadn't. He loved to be in charge, and taking orders from pigs was probably only slightly less humiliating to him than taking orders from children.

"Then, there were the modeling days, "Daphne said with a sigh.

"He modeled?" Sabrina asked in surprise.

"We call that his mid-life crisis," Pinocchio explained instantly.

Puck laughed.

"Most recently, he's tried to be a TV anchorman," Pinocchio finished. "I'm not sure exactly what happened there, but when that fell through, Snow asked him to start overseeing the museum project."

"I would have thought he would be CEO of a Fortune 500 company by now," Sabrina said, somewhat puzzled. "I mean, it's practically the closest thing to a kingdom he could find here anymore."

"We all thought the same thing," Daphne admitted. "But after he got married to Snow, things changed for him. He was determined to be the best husband and father he could be. He refused to be _anything_ like Atticus had been—even if he didn't have any memory of him except for that last battle."

"So, he's trying to be someone he's not so he can avoid being someone he doesn't want to be," Sabrina said softly. She knew something about that—it had been the reason she'd been so eager to marry Bradley all those years before.

If Sabrina had to guess, that was the source of Charming's problems. He probably still hadn't quite come to terms with the rewrites Bunny had made to the Snow White story. And it was slowly destroying all the work he had done in bettering himself before he knew about his brother. The Charming that had just left Daphne and Pinocchio's house had been strangely reminiscent of the Charming that had welcomed Sabrina and Daphne to Ferryport Landing with more than a little annoyance.

"It's a good thing he has someone like you around to help him figure out what to do," Sabrina said as she turned a smile to her sister.

Daphne opened her mouth as if to say something, but Sabrina beat her to it. "That is, assuming that he's smart enough to take advantage of the help."

Daphne blushed.

"Aunt Daphne?" Emma asked as she turned to face her aunt.

"Yes, Emma?" Daphne asked as she turned to look at her niece.

"So, if you and Pinocchio didn't get married until after Mom woke up," she began with a serious look on her face. "And you didn't get to see each other very much while she was asleep because he was so busy, how did you get married at all?"

"That's a very good question," Pinocchio said with a laugh. "We almost didn't."

The girls turned to their aunt for confirmation.

"It's true," Daphne said with a nod. "I actually turned down his proposal, what was it? Twice?"

Pinocchio shook his head. "Three times."

"Right, I forgot that last one," Daphne said with a nod.

"You turned down Pinocchio's proposal three times?" Emma squealed.

"Maybe you'd better tell the story, Daphne," Sabrina said with an amused chuckle.


	12. Chapter 12

_Fourteen and a half years earlier_

The date had been circled on her calendar for nine months—from the moment she'd heard that Sabrina was expecting her first child. But it wasn't until now—nine days before Sabrina's circled due date—that Daphne started getting that anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach that always accompanied any kind of change in her family.

From her sister's decision to become a lawyer to her parents' announcement that they were planning on buying a villa in Italy that anyone in the family could use provided they asked nicely, the butterflies in her stomach churned for weeks before the change and stopped the moment the change actually happened.

It didn't help that no one seemed to have any idea how Sabrina was going to manage to give birth while under the effects of the sleeping spell. Everyone from Puck to Henry and Veronica to Basil and Daphne were more than a little concerned.

And then, there was Pinocchio.

Daphne hadn't gotten more than a handful of one-word text messages from Pinocchio in almost three weeks. He'd been buried under a mountainous case load and had broken almost every date they'd planned in that time.

Daphne understood why he had to cancel their plans so often. Sabrina had been an overworked attorney in her own right, and Pinocchio had his own case load to deal with in addition to hers. But it still didn't sit right with her that he couldn't even manage five minutes to say hello.

Oh, if it was an emergency, she was sure he'd come. But if it was something so "trivial" as her desire to have a simple conversation with him, she wasn't so sure anymore.

Daphne's cell phone vibrated on her desk, and she looked over at the caller ID. _Puck_.

In an instant, she snatched up the phone. "Puck? What is it? What's going on?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Puck admitted. "Sabrina started—making some noises last night. Grunts and moans. It freaked me out so I called your mom and Nurse Spratt."

"And?" Daphne prompted.

"They think she's having the baby. But since we're all a bit unsure about what's actually happening here, we all thought it would be best if we had you standing by."

"Me?" Daphne asked in surprise. "What could I possibly do? I'm not a doctor, I'm not a nurse like Nurse Spratt, I've never had a baby like Mom, what could I possibly do to help?"

"We thought you might have some alternative, magical ideas," Puck said. His voice raised in pitch as he began to sound worried. "I mean, just in case."

Daphne had been spending every spare minute with Bunny Lancaster and Baba Yaga in an effort to prepare herself for this very moment. And now, she felt woefully inadequate like she was being asked to take a test that she hadn't prepared for.

"I'll be right there," Daphne said as she forced herself to sound as confident as she had ever been. "I'm sure everything will be all right, but I'm on my way in case it isn't."

Puck didn't reply. He just hung up the phone and left her to look around her room as she thought about what she would need in order to help her sister.

Daphne was both thrilled and anxious to be an aunt. It had been bad enough to find out that she was an older sister, but now she was going to be mentor to a whole new generation of Grimms, and it made her nervous.

But more than that, she couldn't wait to see her sister again. It had been a long six months. Though Pinocchio had tried to be there for her like Sabrina had been, it wasn't the same. Daphne needed her sister _and_ her boyfriend. Not a man who was trying to be both and not managing to do a good job of either.

She shook her head. She needed to get Pinocchio out of her mind. He was busy, and he wouldn't be available until Sabrina was ready to return to her law practice. She'd had a few fleeting moments where it felt like this relationship might be the one that she'd been waiting for all her life, but it seemed to her that he didn't feel the same way. If he had, he might have tried a little harder to spend more time with her. Maybe he was regretting telling her that he loved her after all.

The trip to Sabrina and Puck's brownstone was a long one. Daphne's thoughts swirled around in her head like fallen leaves circling in a whirlpool. Every time she tried to distract her thoughts from Pinocchio, the thoughts about him multiplied in her mind.

Daphne walked up to the brownstone and reached up to knock on the door. Almost before she had a chance to rap her knuckles against the wood, the door opened, and Puck's worried face appeared on the other side. "Come in," he said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the house.

"Are you okay?" Daphne asked, unsure of whether she should be worried, frightened or anything else.

"She's having a baby, Daphne. I'm having a baby. I'm going to be a father," he rambled. "This is the end of the Trickster King! I'm going to have to be all—responsible."

Daphne sighed in relief. "Oh good, you're just having a nervous breakdown."

"Daphne, I'm serious!" Puck cried.

"So am I!" Daphne returned. "Here I was thinking that you needed me to do some sort of magical surgery, but all you need right now is emotional support. I can do that."

Puck threw her a look before he began pacing. "I don't know if I can do this. I mean, questions. Answers. Kids have _so_ many questions—I mean, just look at you. Your sister was your human dictionary when you were growing up. I don't even _own_ a dictionary, Daphne!"

"Breathe, Puck," Daphne commanded. "Have you slept—at all?"

"What?" Puck asked, as he looked back at his sister-in-law.

"I'm going to guess no," Daphne said as she shook her head. "Let me make you a cup of tea, okay?"

"I don't drink tea," Puck said, sounding like a petulant child.

"Hot chocolate then," Daphne countered. "With marshmallows."

"Kids drink hot chocolate with marshmallows. Parents _make_ hot chocolate for their kids, but they don't drink it themselves!" Puck snapped.

"Do you think you need to be someone you're not just because you're going to be a father?" Daphne asked softly. "I'm pretty sure that's not how it works."

"How do _you_ know how parenting works?" Puck asked in agitation. "You're not a parent!"

"No, I'm not," Daphne admitted. "But I know that my parents aren't perfect. They've made some mistakes, and one of the biggest mistakes I've seen my dad make is trying to pretend that he isn't who he is—a Grimm."

Puck was quiet for a few moments. "Maybe I will take that hot chocolate," he said after a moment.

"Good," Daphne said as she walked into the kitchen. She put water in the kettle and put it on to boil.

"So, how are things between you and Pinhead?" Puck asked as he sat at the table. He seemed almost rational again.

"Fine," she said as she busied herself more intently with the business of making hot chocolate.

"That good, huh?"

Daphne looked up at him in confusion. "What?"

"You're like your sister—when you're nervous or angry about something, you throw yourself into your work. Wanna talk about it?"

Daphne shook her head. "Not really."

"Are you sure?"

Puck was looking at her with the compassion she'd only seen on his face a handful of times. He'd always been like a big brother to her, but rarely had he played it with such kindness. Usually he was being brotherly as he threw a glop grenade at her or kept a monster from eating her.

Daphne sighed. "I haven't heard—really heard—from Pinocchio in three weeks."

"And you think it's because he doesn't like you anymore," Puck said with disturbing insight.

Daphne offered him a guilty smile. "Yeah."

"He's been pretty busy," Puck said as he stood. It was as if his own concerns had just disappeared. How did he just turn his anxieties on and off like that?

He sighed. "But I've learned to trust your instincts, Daphne. You've got a great sense of when someone's treating you the way you deserve and when someone's not measuring up. I know that's now what you want to hear, but that's all I'm going to say. Your love life is your own."

Daphne looked up at him and shook her head. "What are you worried about?" She said with a small chuckle. "That was perfect Dad advice."

"It was?" He asked in surprise.

"Yep," Daphne said with a smile. "You're going to be a great dad." She paused for a moment before she continued. "Someday, I'm sure you'll get to be the Trickster King again. Maybe not everyday, but once in a while."

Puck grinned as ideas flooded into his mind. "Oh man, am I going to have fun if this is a girl!"

Daphne raised an eyebrow.

"I've got to chase the boys away somehow!" He said with a mischievous wink.

The cell phone in her pocket vibrated, and Daphne pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. _Pinocchio_. As if her life wasn't complicated enough.

She pulled the phone out of her pocket and stared at it for a moment. She could pay Pinocchio back for all of her own missed calls. Instantly she shook that feeling off. She couldn't do that—she'd seen what revenge had done to too many people to be dragged into that trap.

She flipped open the phone and put it to her ear. "Hello," she greeted as she forced a smile to her lips.

"Daphne, it's Pinocchio."

"Hi, Pinocchio. How are you?" She asked, trying to sound as if nothing was wrong.

"I'm fine. Busy, but fine." Pinocchio sounded distracted by something, and Daphne heard an irritated voice in the background. "Hey, I'm free for lunch today. I had an appointment, but it was canceled. Something about not crying over spilled milk—anyway, I had a few minutes, and I thought I'd take my girl out to lunch."

Daphne cringed as she heard the term "my girl." Where once the term had seemed affectionate, now it seemed like a prison where she was kept in the arms of a man who didn't love her as much as he thought he did.

"Actually, I'm at Sabrina and Puck's right now," Daphne said. She wasn't interested in going to a restaurant with Pinocchio at the moment—not when he'd ignored her for so long.

"Is something wrong?"

"Sabrina's having the baby, or at least, we think she's having the baby," Daphne explained. "We're still trying to figure out what's going on, but we're all here trying to figure it out. Anyway, that's why I can't come to lunch today."

"Of course!" Pinocchio said with a nod. "I'll be right there with a platter of sandwiches. I know your whole family could probably use some food—especially Puck. I think he eats when he gets nervous."

"Among other things," Daphne admitted under her breath.

"Look, Daphne, are you okay? You sound strange."

"I'm fine," Daphne said with the shake of her head. "I'll be fine with some sleep, I'm sure."

"I had something I wanted to talk to you about," he said in that distracted tone that told Daphne that something was wrong. "Something that really can't be said over the phone."

Daphne managed a thin smile. "Okay, okay. I'll be here when you get here."

Before he had a chance to say goodbye, the voice in the background called Pinocchio away from the phone. Daphne hung up the phone with tears in her eyes. She pressed a hand to her forehead as if to ward off the coming tears. No doubt, Pinocchio was coming to tell her that he was wrong for saying that he loved her. No doubt he was coming to break up with her.

And while it would break her heart, she had to admit that it was for the best. She couldn't keep living like this. She couldn't keep wondering when she'd get a chance to see her boyfriend.

The sound of a baby's cry caught Daphne's attention, and she looked over at the stairs expectantly.

"What was that?" Puck asked. It was clear that Puck had heard the cry that Daphne had just heard.

Tears welled up in Daphne's eyes at the sound of the baby's cry. It was odd—she was happy for her sister and Puck, thrilled to have a niece, and sad that Pinocchio wasn't here to share it with her. That he might never be here to share another moment like this with her.

Veronica Grimm appeared at the top of the stairs with a tiny pink bundle wrapped up in her arms. "Puck, would you like to hold your daughter?"

"My daughter?" Puck asked as he fluttered over to where Sabrina's mother stood. He hovered over her and the baby for a few moments before he set himself on the ground and carefully took the baby from his mother-in-law. "I'm a father," he whispered as he studied the infant in his arms. He looked up at Veronica with wonder in his eyes. "She's perfect. Just like Sabrina."

His eyes widened in realization. "Sabrina!"

"Is still sleeping," Veronica soothed. "While we're fairly confident that she'll be fine if she's awoken, Nurse Spratt suggested that maybe we wait for an hour or two before we try to wake her up. Just to make sure the magic is out of her system."

Puck shook his head. "She should be here for this," he said as he cradled his daughter in one arm and flew off to awaken his wife.

Daphne watched the scene with fascination. It seemed that the Trickster King was a natural husband and father. Who would have thought it?

Even as she thought of it, another image filled her mind's eye. She could almost see Pinocchio playing with children—her children. The vision faber her a smile as she watched him play and then return his attention to those precious children of theirs.

The thought pierced her tender heart like a sharp knife. The tears came more swiftly, and she turned to go back downstairs.

"Daphne?" Veronica asked softly. "Are you all right?"

Daphne swallowed down her tears as the kettle whistled. "I'll be there in a minute, Mom. I've got to take care of the kettle, and then I'll be there."

Voices could be heard from the master bedroom, and Daphne assumed that Nurse Spratt had tried to stop Puck from awakening his wife.

Though she didn't turn around, Daphne could almost see her mother turning back toward the room and then back toward Daphne. "I'd better go in there and see what all the fuss is about," she said apologetically. "You'll be all right?"

Daphne nodded in an effort to keep from losing her tenuous composure. "I'll be fine."

As she walked back to the kitchen the front door opened and Henry Grimm filled the doorway. "I heard Puck needs some fatherly advice," he said as he walked in. "Where is he?"

"With his wife and daughter."

Henry stopped in surprise. "Daughter?"

Daphne chuckled as she nodded.

"I'm a grandfather," Henry said as a look of dumbfounded awe appeared on his face.

A wry half-smile appeared on Daphne's lips. "There's a lot of that going around," she said with a chuckle.

"Is Sabrina awake?" Henry asked as he recovered from his awe.

Daphne shrugged. "I don't know. Puck took the baby in to wake her up, but I don't know if she's actually awake now or not. But Mom's upstairs. I'm sure she's waiting for you."

Henry nodded and headed up the stairs as Daphne walked over to relieve the whistling tea kettle.

She was twenty years old. She shouldn't have such visions of marriage and family—especially to an Everafter who was more married to his work than he could ever be to her.

There was a knock on the door, and Daphne walked over to it.

There on the stoop of the brownstone was Pinocchio with a tray of sub sandwiches and a bouquet of yellow and green balloons. "I didn't know whether it was a boy or a girl, so I got the gender-neutral colored balloons."

"It was a girl," Daphne said with a small smile. "Puck's upstairs with Sabrina and the baby."

"Is she awake?" Pinocchio asked as he stepped into the living room.

Daphne shrugged. "I don't know. I figured I'd give them some time with the baby and with each other."

Pinocchio nodded as he set the sandwiches and the balloons down. "It's been a long six months for them."

Daphne nodded. "I know." She inhaled and crossed her arms. "So, you needed to tell me something you couldn't say over the phone. What exactly did you want to say?"

"Now?" Pinocchio asked, looking around him. He seemed nervous for some reason.

"I think we should just get it over with," she said as she inhaled.

"Get what over with?" Pinocchio asked in confusion.

"You want to break up with me, so get on with it," she said as she tried to brace herself for the pain that was coming.

"Break up with you?" Pinocchio asked, blinking his eyes with incomprehension.

"Yes, and I think it's a good idea, so just get it over with," she said as she tried to get him to hurry up.

Pinocchio was stunned to silence. "You think it's a good idea if we break up?"

Daphne nodded quickly.

"I see," he said as he exhaled slowly. "Then, I guess I misread the signals."

Daphne looked at him in confusion. "What?"

He reached into his pocket and put a small velvet box beside the sandwiches and balloons. "Tell Sabrina and Puck congratulations for me, okay?"

"Pinocchio," Daphne whispered as he walked out the door.

She broke down in sobs as Pinocchio slammed the door behind him.


	13. Chapter 13

_Present Day_

"That's not exactly turning down his proposal," Alison said as she looked over at her aunt.

"No," Pinocchio said as he shook his head. "But I do. That's why she forgot how many she'd turned down. We've had this argument a handful of times, and each time, we can't decide who's right. Anyway, Daphne and I came to the conclusion that we could agree to disagree on the specifics. After all, the past is the past, and the present is the present."

Daphne nodded. "Yep."

"So, what happened after that?" Alison asked eagerly.

Sabrina chuckled. She had a feeling that her daughter would begin to see the wonder that came from her Everafter heritage when she came to Ferryport Landing. She was glad that she had been right.

"After that, I went and saw my niece," Daphne said with a smile.

"Well, duh," Emma said with a roll of her eyes.

Sabrina looked over at Emma worriedly. Emma was most often like Daphne, but once in a while, she started to act like Puck. But Emma rarely acted like Puck unless something was bothering her.

"I mean, after that," Alison said as she dismissed her sister's comment.

"I know what you meant," Daphne said softly.

* * *

_Fourteen and a half years earlier_

Daphne stared at the velvet box on her nightstand. She'd gotten it wrong. Pinocchio hadn't wanted to break up with her. He'd wanted to propose marriage to her.

She still hadn't opened it. She was too afraid and ashamed to do so.

"Daphne?"

Daphne looked over in surprise toward her bedroom door. "Sabrina?" She asked in confusion. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home—resting?"

"I've been sleeping for six months, Daphne," Sabrina said with a wry chuckle. "I don't need to rest."

"But you've just had a baby, Sabrina," Daphne countered.

"Yes, and she's downstairs with Mom," Sabrina assured. "It's Puck's first day back at work, and I was tired of being cooped up, so I convinced him and Mom to let me come and visit you. So, how are you doing?"

"Fine."

"Uh oh," Sabrina said as she sat beside her sister on the bed. "One-word answers from Daphne Grimm. It must be really bad."

"What are you talking about?" Daphne asked as she looked over at her sister.

"If you're not telling me a detailed description of what you were doing from the moment we last saw each other five minutes after I walk into the room," Sabrina began. "Then, I know something's wrong. What is it?"

Daphne shook her head. "Nothing. I'm just worn out. Between keeping Granny Relda's house in good condition and going to school and trying to help you, I've been busy."

"You don't look like you've slept," Sabrina said as she studied her sister.

"Didn't I just say that I was worn out?" Daphne asked as she stood.

"Yes," Sabrina said with a nod. "But you don't look like someone who's just overworked. You look like you have something that you regret."

"Regret? What do you think I regret?" Daphne asked as she turned a look to her sister.

Sabrina picked up the velvet box on the nightstand and opened it. "It's a lovely ring. Pinocchio has good taste."

"Does he?" Daphne asked as she tried to look somewhat nonchalant.

Sabrina snapped the box shut. "You haven't looked at the ring, have you?"

"I don't think that's important," Daphne countered.

"Would you just relax?" Sabrina asked softly. "You're jumpy. And nervous. I've never seen you so nervous. I'm on your side."

Daphne looked at her sister. She was right. Sabrina had always been on her side. Finally, Daphne sank onto the bed beside her sister.

"That's better," Sabrina said with a small smile. "Now, what happened?"

Daphne sighed softly. "I started dating Pinocchio while you were asleep. Things were going pretty well until about three weeks ago. He only managed the occasional text message—usually to break a date we'd planned. In fact, the first time I'd heard from him in that three weeks was the day Alison was born."

"And you haven't seen him since he came to the house?" Sabrina asked curiously.

Daphne shook her head. "I made the assumption that he was pulling away because he wanted to end our relationship. I had no idea he was pulling away because he was so nervous about the proposal."

"Is that what happened?" Sabrina asked with a mildly interested eyebrow raise.

Daphne studied her sister as if Sabrina knew more than she was letting on. "Isn't that what happened?"

"It sounds to me that if you have to ask that question, you need to talk to Pinocchio," Sabrina said softly. "This isn't just a misunderstanding, Daphne. This isn't the kind of conflict that doesn't matter—like whether or not he put mustard on your sandwich or not. This is the end of a relationship that had potential. At least, from what Mom and Puck have told me. And from what I've seen of you and Pinocchio."

"You've seen Pinocchio?" Daphne asked instantly.

Sabrina nodded. "He came to tell me about the cases I missed. I'll admit he didn't handle them in exactly the same way I would have, but he's a brilliant lawyer. I guess that's why he's been recruited by one of the most prestigious law firms in the New York."

"What?" Daphne asked in surprise.

"Hamilton, Bering, and Rich is a firm that practically has its own recruiting station at Stanford," Sabrina explained. "The founding partners all graduated from Stanford, and they favor hiring Stanford graduates. From what I understand, they were grooming Pinocchio to be a partner one day."

"So?"

Sabrina sighed. "So, in order to make partner in such a prestigious law firm like that, you usually have to work anywhere between 60 to 80 hours a week from the time you're hired. And you have to have an amazing record in the court room. That's why I was surprised when Pinocchio offered to take my case load. I worked about 60 hours a week just trying to keep up with the Everafter cases."

Daphne's jaw dropped open. She'd known he was practically working two jobs, but she hadn't thought that helping her sister had been such a commitment!

"In fact, I'm surprised that he managed to have time for you at all in that six months," Sabrina admitted.

"You don't have to make me feel more guilty than I already feel," Daphne interrupted before Sabrina could finish her thought.

"I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, Daphne," Sabrina said as she shook her head. "I am, however, trying to help you see that you weren't low on his list of priorities. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't the reason, in some part, that he asked me for a job when I saw him last week."

"He asked you for a job?" Daphne asked, reeling in surprise.

Sabrina nodded. "He said he had no interest in becoming a partner in Hamilton, Bering and Rich. He said he'd found a degree of satisfaction in helping Everafters with their legal challenges that he'd never found in his work at the law firm."

"And you gave him a job?"Daphne queried.

"Well, with Alison now, I thought it would be best," Sabrina admitted. "We'll both be pretty busy still, but I think we'll have more time for things other than work."

"Good."

"Are you going to go and talk to Pinocchio? I think he deserves an explanation—and a chance to explain himself," Sabrina said with a serious look in her eye.

Daphne nodded as she picked up the velvet box. "He does deserve to know what was going through my head. And he does deserve a chance to explain."

"But?" Sabrina asked as she looked over at her sister.

"But I don't know if that's going to change anything," Daphne admitted. "And I'm not sure that I want it to."

Sabrina inhaled and then exhaled. "Well, it's your life, Daphne. Just remember—you're the one who was always saying that the men in your life were too normal."

A wry grin tugged at Daphne's lips. "Says the woman who was just in an enchanted sleep so she could give birth to her fairy princess daughter because she's in some way allergic to her magical marriage?"

Sabrina gave her sister a mocking glare. "Oh, you did not just go there!"

"Actually, I think I did," Daphne laughed. "Now, I haven't had a chance to hold the baby yet. You said she's downstairs with Mom?"


	14. Chapter 14

_Present Day_

"So did you go and talk to Pinocchio?" Alison asked instantly.

"Of course she did, dummy," Emma said as she rolled her eyes. "They're _married_ now!"

"Emma," Sabrina scolded.

Emma scowled as she sank into her chair with her arms folded across her chest.

"To answer your question, yes, I did go and talk to him," Daphne said softly.

"But it didn't exactly go the way I thought it would," Pinocchio said with a wry grin.

* * *

_Fourteen and a half years ago_

Daphne walked slowly up the walkway to Pinocchio's apartment building. She'd only been here a couple of times before, but the doorman opened the door for her. "Hello, Miss Grimm."

"Hello, Mike," she said with a smile as she walked over to the elevator. She pressed the upward button and waited a few moments for the elevator to come to her. She got into the elevator and pressed the button for the sixth floor.

She fiddled with the hem of her shirt as the elevator car went up to the sixth floor and opened its doors. She could think of about seven thousand different places where she'd rather be instead of here. But she needed to be here. She needed to explain her side of the misunderstanding to Pinocchio.

She walked out of the elevator and into the hallway. She walked slowly toward Pinocchio's studio apartment with a feeling of dread brewing in the pit of her stomach.

She hesitated for a moment as she reached his door before she knocked once on the door and then once again.

She could hear footsteps approach the door, and she inhaled in an effort to calm her nerves.

When the footsteps stopped, Daphne determined that Pinocchio was probably looking through the peephole. It took a few moments before he finally opened the door. "What can I do for you?" He asked somewhat coolly.

Daphne swallowed nervously. "Um, I was hoping we could talk."

He shrugged and opened the door to let her inside.

She walked into the apartment, not surprised by how ordered and organized it was. Pinocchio's fastidiousness was almost the stuff of legends. From an immaculate apartment to impeccable clothing, Pinocchio rarely looked like he was going anywhere other than a board meeting.

It was one of the things which drove her a little crazy as she had inherited her grandmother's penchant for organized chaos.

"You wanted to talk?" Pinocchio said, expectantly.

Daphne turned to face him, and for the first time since she'd first seen him at the door, she saw that he had yet to shave. Odd, she thought. He was always clean-shaven—whether she saw him at six o'clock in the morning or ten o'clock at night. He always looked like he'd just shaved.

And for the first time since she'd met him nearly twelve years ago, he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt instead of a three-piece suit. Was this what he looked like when he was unhinged? She wasn't sure if she should be excited that he was finally relaxing or worried that this was a sign of some nervous breakdown.

Unfortunately, however, the look of stubble on his chin combined with his slightly unruly curly hair, which was normally carefully combed, and his casual appearance made Daphne's knees weak.

"Daphne?" Pinocchio repeated.

She shook the thoughts from her mind and looked up. "Yes. I think I have some explaining to do."

Pinocchio sighed. "That's not necessary. I don't need an explanation. What you said made sense. If you think that it's a good idea for us not to see each other, then we shouldn't see each other anymore. I should have just taken the ring with me. It was wrong of me to leave it there for you."

Daphne swallowed and reached into her purse. "Actually, I'm glad you did. It told me that I had completely misread the circumstances."

Pinocchio looked over at her in confusion.

She pulled out the velvet box and offered it to him. "I thought that since you had pulled away from me in that three weeks that you were having second thoughts about being in a relationship with me. I thought that you were trying to figure out a way to let me down gently. Now, I see you were busy. And perhaps a little nervous about asking me to marry you. I'm sorry."

Pinocchio looked over at her with a confused expression as she held the box out to him. "Are you returning my ring or are you accepting my unspoken proposal?"

Daphne swallowed. If he asked her to marry him right here, she would probably be too weak to say no again, but there were so many reasons why a marriage between them would be unfair to both of them. For one, his job, though now with Everafters, would still demand a significant amount of time at work and at home as he prepared for his cases. Second, she was still in school and would be for another five years before she was ready to begin her practice as a therapist.

While she could see herself loving Pinocchio for the rest of her long life, now wasn't the right time to make that commitment.

Pinocchio's brown eyes became hard and cold again as if he could read her thoughts and knew that she was going to turn him down again. "I see. You just wanted to explain your side of things so that you wouldn't feel guilty by returning the ring."

"I love you, Pinocchio," she said seriously. "And I would love to be your wife. But I just—can't right now." Her voice had broken as she said the word "can't" as if she was unsure about whether or not she could or couldn't.

"Can't or won't?" Pinocchio shot back somewhat angrily.

"I understand why you're so upset," Daphne whispered. "We got really close. We're good together. And you want a family—the kind of family that even your father couldn't give you—"

"You leave my father out of this!" Pinocchio snapped.

Daphne had tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. "Pinocchio, I would love to say yes to you, but I can't marry a man who's already married."

Pinocchio stepped back as shock registered on his face. "I'm not married," he said as she shook his head.

"Not to a person," she admitted. "But you're married to your work. You've worked for so long to be respected for your ideas instead of being discriminated against because of your supposed-age that it's to be expected I suppose."

"Married to my work?" Pinocchio repeated softly as if the notion surprised him.

"And while I'm working on getting my therapist's license, I'll be working just as hard. It's not a bad thing. It just means that we've got rotten timing."

"Timing," Pinocchio repeated with a sad understanding brewing in his eyes.

She nodded. "I'm sorry, Pinocchio."

He sighed softly as he looked down at the ring she was still holding out to him. He reached over and picked up the velvet box. "I'm sorry too," he said hoarsely.

Daphne hesitated for a moment before she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I am going to miss you though," she whispered as she held him.

"I'm going to miss you too," he admitted as he wrapped his arms around her. "Maybe someday—"

"Don't," Daphne said as she pulled away. "Don't do that to yourself. Just accept that we had lousy timing. Maybe we can still be friends?"

Pinocchio sighed softly. "I guess that's unavoidable if I'm going to work with your sister." He nodded. "Friends."

Daphne managed a small smile before she pulled away from him. "I'd better go."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. You probably should."

She walked over the door before she turned back to him with a wry smile. "Word to the wise, that's a very good look on you."

Pinocchio managed a thin smile as she walked out the door.


	15. Chapter 15

_Present Day_

The knock at the door interrupted the story. Daphne moved toward the living room, but Pinocchio raised a hand to stop her. "You sit. I'll go get the door," he said with a wink.

Daphne sighed softly though she seemed to accept his suggestion. She sat down beside Sabrina, exhaled and rubbed a spot on the right side of her belly. She turned an exasperated smile to her sister. "Every once in a while, one of the twins decides to try and build an addition to their cramped quarters by pressing their hands and legs on one side of my stomach." She grimaced. "And they stay there—for at least half an hour."

Sabrina chuckled appreciatively as Pinocchio's voice could be heard talking to another familiar voice. She looked. "Uncle Jake?"

"I thought that was your car," Jake said as he walked into the living room. "But I was so surprised that you and Puck would be in Ferryport Landing that I didn't believe it."

Sabrina grinned as she jumped out of her chair and embraced her uncle. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Since Emma was born," Puck said with a nod.

Emma perked up. "He came to see me when I was born?"

Uncle Jake nodded. He looked as young as he had the day Daphne and Sabrina had first met him almost thirty years ago. "I sure did, princess." He turned to Alison somewhat apologetically. "I was in the middle of something when you were born, Alison, so I didn't make it when you were born, but I got to spend some time with you when your sister was born."

"Uncle Jake? Who's Uncle Jake?" Alison asked as she turned to her mother.

"Your Grandpa Grimm's brother," Sabrina said with a smile. She turned back to her uncle. "Never mind what _I'm_ doing in Ferryport Landing. What are _you_ doing in Ferryport Landing?"

"I heard about the town's facelift," Jake said as he turned a penetrating gaze to Daphne.

"Let me guess, you don't think this is a good idea either," Daphne said with a sigh.

Jake shrugged. "I just wonder what the Everafters think about it. Or what my mom would have thought about it."

Daphne nodded with a small sigh. "Of course." She awkwardly pulled herself out of the chair. "Well, I don't expect any of you to understand, but it's really helped the Everafters in this town to own up to their identities. Even if it is only in some Disneyland-type tourist attraction."

She turned to her sister and then to her uncle. "What you two don't realize is that, while it's true that the Everafters need to stop living two separate lives, it's also true that the world needs fairy tales." She turned a penetrating gaze to her sister. "Do you remember what it was like growing up in a house where we didn't hear a single fairy tale or nursery rhyme? Do you remember how it made us feel guilty for wishing on a star or dreaming and fantasizing about what the world might have to offer us? Do you remember how it stole our childhood from us long before our parents were kidnapped?"

Sabrina was shocked at her sister's passion. She'd thought this was all just for the Everafters. She'd never considered what Daphne had thought about their growing up years in New York before their parents' abduction and enchanted sleep.

Daphne exhaled slowly and turned to her husband. "I think I'm going to lie down for a bit," she said as she rubbed her temple. "I have a headache, and it's clear that I'm not very good company right now."

Pinocchio nodded and kissed her forehead. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Daphne, I didn't mean to upset you," Jake said as he turned to his niece. "It just caught me by surprise. That's all."

Daphne managed a thin smile. "I know. And I probably would have tried to prepare you both for it if I'd known you were coming." She paused for a moment before she put her hand on her uncle's arm. "I should have known you were going to be here. I should have known you couldn't stay away much longer."

Uncle Jake's eyes grew sad, and he looked down at the floor. "I haven't been to see her in so long. I just want to sit outside the gates—be as close to her as I can be."

"Let me know if you need someone to go with you, okay?" She said softly.

Jake nodded once, and Daphne turned to Sabrina, Puck and the girls. "I'm sorry to be leaving you, but I have to get a nap or I'll be cranky for the rest of the day," she said with a small half-smile. "I'll finish the story when I get up, okay?"

Both girls looked somewhat disappointed though they both nodded.

"Maybe Pinocchio can take us to the museum while you sleep," Sabrina suggested with an understanding smile to her younger sister. "Who knows? Maybe we'll even see more of our friends."

"I'm sure Beauty would love to see you," Daphne said with a small smile to Emma. "And maybe you can get another puppy."

Puck groaned as Emma clapped happily. "Did you _really_ have to put that idea into her head?" He asked his sister-in-law.

Daphne grinned before she turned and kissed her husband. "Have fun. I'll see you when you get back."

She walked out of the kitchen, through the living room, and up to the master bedroom as Puck turned to the group. "Come on, guys, we've got a museum to see," he said as he rubbed his hands together with a mischievous smile.

Sabrina groaned. "Oh boy." She turned to her girls. "If your dad's smile is anything to go by, I think you'll finally get to find out why your dad used to call himself the Trickster King."

"Used to call himself the Trickster King?" Puck asked as he unfurled his wings as if in offense to her assessment. "Honey, I'm _still_ the Trickster King! Just—retired for a bit to do the responsible parent thing."

"Yes!" Emma crowed excitedly.

"Let's go to the forest," Puck rambled excitedly. "I'll bet some of my booby traps are still around from the war. I think it would be great to show the girls what their mom and dad dreamed up to save the world from the Scarlet Hand. Man, those were some of my greatest pranks ever. And the fact that the Queen of the Sneaks commissioned them—" He sauntered up to his wife and wrapped his arm around her waist. He kissed her and pulled away from her with an impish grin. "Well, that was just icing on the cake."

Sabrina blushed. "Puck," she whispered as she saw Alison looking embarrassed and Emma giggling. "The girls—"

"The girls will know how to avoid the traps," he said with a droll chuckle.

"Like their mom?" Sabrina asked as she raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I seem to recall a few escape trainings that didn't go too well for Daphne and me."

Puck grinned. "What can I say? I've always been one step ahead of you."

Sabrina grinned with playful competition in her eyes. "Oh, I don't think so. I've learned a few tricks over the last few years."

Uncle Jake walked over to his grandnieces and bent down to the level of their ears. "I think this is going to be good," he said with a grin. "Your mother's the sneakiest girl I know. And your father—well, he's the most mischievous fairy I've ever met."

Puck grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Jake laughed. "You should."

"Queen of the Sneaks?" Alison asked, turning to her mother in surprise.

Sabrina smiled sheepishly. "Um, that's a nickname from a _long_ time ago."

"From what Daphne told me, it was a nickname that was rightfully earned," Pinocchio laughed.

Emma looked up at her mother and opened her mouth to speak.

"I'll tell you later," Sabrina said before her daughter had a chance to say anything. "But I think your dad is right." She turned to Uncle Jake and sighed. "I think we should go to Charming's castle. And I think we should tell the girls what happened there."

Puck nodded, his earlier levity disappearing from his eyes.


	16. Chapter 16

_Still present day_

Sabrina was quiet as she walked with her husband and daughters through the woods that held so many memories for her. Of her first encounter with Puck's "minion" pixies. Of meeting the future Daphne, Sabrina, Puck, the General, and meeting up with the Charming from their time who had been accidentally transported to a future where the Scarlet Hand ran rampant through the streets.

"These woods hold a lot of memories, don't they, Stinkpot?" Puck asked with an affectionate smile as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Stinkpot?" Emma asked as she put a hand over her mouth and giggled.

Sabrina chuckled to herself before she turned a serious eye to her daughters. "If I ever hear any of your boyfriends call you Stinkpot or Smelly, I'll kick their butts myself."

Alison eyed her mother seriously. "There's no way I'd _ever_ fall for someone who called me Stinkpot or Smelly."

A smile played on Sabrina's face. "Famous last words," she murmured to her husband, who chuckled.

They continued to walk quietly for a few minutes before Emma peered up at her granduncle. "You don't look old enough to be my mom's uncle. Are you an Everafter like my mom and dad?"

Jake hesitated for a moment before he nodded. "Yes, Emma. I am."

"How did you get to be an Everafter?" Emma queried.

Jake chuckled. "That's a long story. And one that I think Canis is better suited to telling than I am."

"Canis?" Alison asked curiously.

"A friend of Granny Relda's," Sabrina explained softly. "I hope you'll get a chance to meet him while we're here in Ferryport Landing. Since I never met my Grandpa Basil, he was the closest thing I had to a grandfather."

Jake grew quiet for a few moments before he grabbed Emma and hoisted her up onto his shoulders. "There. Much better."

Emma giggled as Puck turned to his older daughter. "I know you've technically had your first flight already, but a test flight in a confined space like your bedroom with such a low ceiling doesn't count. Especially since I wasn't there to show you the ropes."

Alison raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Puck looked at Sabrina who nodded. He let go of her hand and released his wings. "So, I think it's time for a daddy-daughter date." He pointed up to the blue sky above them. "I'll meet you up there."

Alison seemed to hesitate for a moment as Puck hovered above the group. She turned to Sabrina who offered her a reassuring smile. "Go on. I think you'll enjoy the view."

She looked up at her father who offered her a hand. "Come on. It'll be fun. Besides, I'll be right there with you."

"What if—what if someone sees us?" Alison whispered.

"I've still got a little forgetful dust somewhere in here," Uncle Jake said as he patted one of the pockets in his trench coat.

"Go on," Sabrina said with an encouraging smile. "I know it may be hard to believe, but you might find that being a fairy isn't as bad as it seems. Who knows?" She said with a shrug. "You might even grow to like it."

Alison offered her mother a skeptical look. "As if," she scoffed as she unfurled her wings and joined her father in the sky.

Puck grabbed his daughter's hand with a mischievous smile. "Hold on!" He said with a grin as he darted out of sight.

Sabrina offered a small smile though her heart held a few mixed emotions. Her little girl was now flying around the Ferryport Landing forest. It seemed to be only a matter of time before she would be saving the world, walking down the aisle, and so much more.

"Can I go next?" Emma asked, interrupting her mother's thoughts.

Sabrina looked up at Emma with a shrug. "I don't know why not, but you'll have to ask your dad. Given his burst of energy there, I'm not sure he'll be in the mood to dart off with you too, but we'll talk to him."

Emma's face fell though she tried to keep a strong smile on her lips. "Right."

"Is something wrong?" Sabrina asked as she studied her daughter.

Emma was silent. That, in and of itself, told Sabrina that this was a serious matter. Her daughter was rarely this quiet.

"What's wrong?" Sabrina asked, modifying the question somewhat.

"If you didn't want any more kids, why did you have me?" She erupted. "I'm not like Alison. I'm not a fairy. I'm not even pretty or normal! Was I some mistake or something?"

Sabrina's heart ached at the thought of her daughter suffering such thoughts about herself. How many times had she thought the same thing about herself?

If there was one thing about puberty and growing up that Sabrina could get rid of for her daughters, it would be this self-doubt and insecurity. It had taken its share of casualties over the course of her own life, and she wished she could save her daughters from such burdens.

Sabrina nodded to Uncle Jake, who took Emma off of his shoulders and gently put her on the ground beside her mother. Sabrina sat in the grass at the base of a tree and put her arms around her daughter as Jake moved subtly out of the way.

"You are not a mistake," Sabrina whispered as she kissed the top of her daughter's head.

"But I thought Dad didn't want any more kids after Alison," Emma murmured. "And having kids made you sick. So, why did you have any more kids?"

Sabrina sat back though she kept her arms around her daughter in a hug around the girl's shoulders. "You know parents aren't perfect, right? We have more experience, but we don't know everything."

Emma nodded slowly.

"Well, your dad was scared when he said that. Frankly, I was scared too. But about a year after Alison was born, I looked around the kitchen table, and I realized our family wasn't finished yet. We were missing somebody. I don't know how I knew, but I just knew we were missing another person." She looked into her daughter's eyes with all the love she had in her heart. "We were missing you."

Emma was quiet though there were a few errant tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I told your dad about it. And it took him a little while, but eventually, he admitted the same thing. He felt like we were missing someone in our family," Sabrina finished.

"So, you had me?"

Sabrina nodded. "We did."

"Did you have to go to sleep again?" Emma asked with her eyes wide in concern.

"I did," Sabrina admitted. "But your aunt Daphne and your grandma and grandpa Grimm helped take care of Alison while your dad went to work." Sabrina looked over at where Jake stood a few feet away in an attempt to give them some privacy. "And Uncle Jake decided to come and visit so he could meet you and your sister." Sabrina felt tears well up in her eyes as she contemplated the miracle of having her two daughters in her life. "And when I woke up and saw you in your dad's arms for the first time, I knew you were the person we'd been waiting for. I knew you were going to make our family complete."

Emma hugged her mother tightly. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, sweetheart." Sabrina said as she closed her eyes and savored the sweet feeling of the hug.

Just then, the sound of flapping wings above them distracted Sabrina and Emma. They looked up to find Puck and Alison slowly descending.

"Wow!" Alison cried as she raced to her mom and hugged her. "That was _amazing!"_

Sabrina grinned. "I thought you'd enjoy it."

Puck's grin mirrored his wife's as he held out a hand to his younger daughter. "Okay, Em. It's your turn!"

"My turn?" She squeaked in excitement.

Puck laughed as he picked his daughter up and flew into the air.

Sabrina smiled as she stood and looked over at her daughter. "So, being a fairy isn't as bad as it seems?"

Alison shook her head. "The wings are still embarrassing. And pink." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "But flying—that's pretty cool."

Sabrina wrapped an arm around her daughter as they watched Emma and Puck fly through the trees. "I've always thought so."


	17. Chapter 17

_Still present day_

"It's so cool that you can fly, Dad!"

Sabrina chuckled as Puck grinned with pride. "Yep. It sure is."

"Okay, Emma, that's enough," Sabrina laughed. "Much more of this, and your dad's going to get a big head."

"You don't understand, Sabrina," Puck said gleefully. "For almost fifteen years, I've had to pretend I was—ordinary!" He exhaled as if he'd been relieved of a great burden. "I can finally show my girls who I am."

Sabrina shook her head in amusement. "And who is that?"

"Why, the Trickster King, after all," he said with a cocky grin. He flew into the air and motioned for the group to follow him. "On to Charming's castle, I say."

"Puck be careful!" Sabrina called as he flew off.

"What I wouldn't give for my wooden sword right about now!" Puck called with gleeful abandon.

She broke into a run. Puck was acting more careless than she remembered—more careless than he'd been as a child. Though it seemed improbable, it was as if he'd forgotten about the Barrier they'd constructed around the castle.

For the first time in a long while, Sabrina's heart pounded loudly in her chest. If she lost Puck to his own carelessness or to the evil that they had trapped in that castle together, she would kill him herself.

"MOM!"

The voices of her daughters rang in her ears. "Stay with Uncle Jake!" She cried over her shoulder.

The agility Sabrina had developed as a child in training with Puck and her grandmother was in rare form as adrenaline pulsed through her veins. Over the years, Puck had pulled some stupid stunts, but this was the most idiotic one yet.

"PUCK!" She screamed as she dodged a tree root and continued forward.

She hadn't saved Puck thirty years ago only to have him trap himself in the Castle because of his sheer stupid—

She skidded to a stop as she entered the clearing near Charming's castle. There, hovering above her in the air was Puck with a grin as wide as she'd ever seen on his face.

He was safe. She could breathe again. And then came the fiercest anger she could ever remember. "What were you thinking?" She demanded. "Get down here, and I'll kick your behind into next week for everything you made me go through!"

"It's about time you showed up, Grimm," Puck said with a mischievous grin. "I was afraid you were rethinking your decision to save my life thirty years ago."

Sabrina glared at him as Jake and Emma broke through to the clearing and Alison appeared overhead with her wings unfurled.

"Mom! What was that all about?" Alison asked as she flew toward the castle.

"ALISON!" Sabrina cried. "Stop right there!"

Alison stopped only a few feet short of Puck's position in the sky and looked down at her mother. "What's your problem?"

"Alison, I think we should have this conversation on the ground," Puck said as he flew over and caught his daughter by the hand. His expression was significantly more serious than it had been before.

Emma ran toward her mother. "What's wrong, Mom?"

"Emma!" Sabrina cried as she put her hands out to stop her daughter.

The girl halted in surprise. "Mom?"

"I told you girls to stay with Uncle Jake!" Sabrina snapped as Puck and Alison landed on the ground beside her.

"You didn't _actually_ believe that they were going to listen to you, did you?" Jake asked as he raised his eyebrow skeptically. "You and Daphne were worse than they are, and neither of you had wings!"

Sabrina shot a withering look to her uncle. "But we didn't run toward an enchanted castle filled with the most dangerous villains who ever lived in Ferryport Landing!"

"No," Jake said as he shook his head. "You just led the army that trapped and defeated them."

Sabrina's daughters' jaws dropped open in shock.

"You led an army?" Emma managed.

"With Aunt Daphne?" Alison added in dismay.

"Yes," Sabrina said curtly. "And you girls almost ran headfirst into the barrier that has trapped them in that castle for the last thirty years!"

"We were just following you and Dad!" Emma defended.

"Yes, you were," Sabrina said with a sigh as she looked over at her husband.

His eyes were filled with regret and apology. "I'm sorry, Sabrina," Puck said as he turned to his daughters. "I knew the Barrier was there. I stopped just short of it because I wanted to play a joke on your mother. It wasn't very funny, and it was even worse because you two tried to follow me." He looked at the girls with all the seriousness he'd ever had in his eyes. "You girls are never to travel through these woods without your mother or me. Do you understand?"

"Never?" Emma asked in disappointment.

"Never." Puck said sternly. He turned to Alison. "Notice I said travel," he reminded her. "Not walk, not run, not fly, not ride horses, but travel—of any kind."

Alison rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"What's the Barrier?" Emma asked softly.

"It's a magical containment field that keeps certain things—Everafters usually—inside a certain area until it's broken," Jake explained. "About two hundred years ago, Wilhelm Grimm constructed a barrier around Ferryport Landing. It kept the Everafters who were here and the ones who came here after it was constructed trapped in Ferryport Landing—including your dad, Mayor White, Charming, and Pinocchio."

"But magic requires some sort of payment," Sabrina explained. "And the Grimm family found its destiny forever tied to the Everafters of Ferryport Landing. The Barrier would only be active while at least one member of the Grimm family was alive and living within the confines of Ferryport Landing."

The girls' eyes widened.

"That barrier is gone now," Puck assured his daughters. "If it wasn't, I'd still have been trapped in Ferryport Landing with your mom and Daphne and everybody. After all, they became Everafters at the end of the war too."

Sabrina nodded. "We created a barrier within the barrier to contain the most dangerous of the members of the Scarlet Hand. Your dad and I were almost trapped in the second barrier because I didn't know I was an Everafter." She turned an exasperated sigh to her husband. "And because your father was as stubborn back then as he is now."

Puck chuckled softly. "In my defense, it was time for your mother to save my life. I'd only saved hers about a million times before that!"

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "He is, of course, exaggerating."

"Well, I saved her life a lot," Puck amended. "Of course, my plans were to marry her, and those plans would have been destroyed if she died."

"Yeah, yeah," Sabrina said with a chuckle as Puck wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "That's what they all say."

"I take it that Charming—the one we met this afternoon—doesn't live here," Alison said as she looked at the castle walls.

Sabrina looked over and shuddered slightly as her mind replayed the image of members of the Scarlet Hand hitting their hands against the barrier in a futile effort to be free. "No, Alison, he doesn't. He was leading the army when this castle was built."

Sabrina turned to her uncle who had grown quiet as they retold the story. "I know I've said it before, but I'm sorry that we had to give them this place. I know how much it would mean to you to be able to say hello just one more time."

Jake shrugged though Sabrina could see the pain in his eyes. "Briar would never have wanted me to wallow like I had been."

Sabrina nodded in agreement. "I believe you're right," she said quietly. "I'm sure she's very proud of you—wherever she is."

"I hope so," Jake choked out before he turned around and headed back into the forest.

"Is he going to be okay?" Emma asked in concern.

Sabrina nodded slowly as she turned back to her family. "Yes. He'll be all right."

"Did he really say Briar?" Alison asked quietly. "As in Briar Rose? Sleeping Beauty?"

Puck nodded soberly. "She was killed thirty years ago. Jake's always blamed himself though there was nothing he could do."

"And she's buried inside the barrier?" Emma asked with a gasp.

Sabrina nodded. "I needed the Scarlet Hand to believe that we were fighting for our castle—that we weren't tricking them into taking it. In order to sell it, we needed to leave Mr. Seven and Briar where they'd been laid to rest."

Puck reached over and took his wife's hand into his own. "I think it's time we got back to town," Puck suggested soberly. "We've told the girls—we've shown them. It's time to leave the past behind us and walk back into the present, okay?"

Sabrina nodded slowly. So many memories haunted this forest for her, and while she was glad she'd confronted some of them, she also wished that some of them would stay buried.

"But what about your traps, Dad?" Emma asked as she looked up at Puck.

Puck grinned. "Maybe we can go by one of them on our way."

Sabrina chuckled. Emma was excited now, but Sabrina was certain her enthusiasm would wane once she faced one of Puck's traps for herself. It might be funny to the girl to throw a water balloon filled with goo at her sister, but Sabrina suspected it would be a different story if Emma was the one wearing the goo at the end of the prank. "I think that's a great idea," Sabrina said as she turned a smile to her husband. "I think the girls need to see what the Trickster King was famous for."


	18. Chapter 18

_Still present day_

"DAD!" Emma screamed. "LET ME DOWN!"

Never in Sabrina's life had she ever thought she would be even slightly amused by such a cry from her youngest daughter. But there was something about the fact that her daughter was dangling upside down from a vine in one of the trees in the Ferryport Landing forest after having specifically requested to be subjected to the ancient wiles of the Trickster King, that made Sabrina want to giggle.

She was a bad mother.

"I can't let you down, Em," Puck said as he flew up be with her. He was batting his eyelashes innocently as if he really couldn't do anything about it. "That's what the flying monkeys are for."

"Flying mon—" Emma managed as words failed her. She opened her mouth as if she was about to gasp greedily for air. "MOM!"

Sabrina tried to hide a smile. "Yes, sweetheart?" She called up.

"GET. ME. DOWN. FROM. HERE!"

"Don't you think she's suffered enough, Puck?" Sabrina asked as she looked up at her flying husband with an amused chuckle.

He heaved a sigh as if it was one of the most unfortunate things he had ever heard of. "I suppose," he said as he shrugged. He reached into his belt and retrieved a small dagger. He slashed the vine with the dagger. In an instant, Emma was falling toward the ground with increasing speed. She screamed as she fell past the branches and seemed to come closer and closer to the ground.

Sabrina's heart clutched at the sight. If only she had wings!

Puck swooped down and caught his daughter in his arms.

As Sabrina began to breathe regularly again, she noticed that Alison's wings were unfurled and she was prepared to take flight. The fact that her older daughter had been willing to save the very girl who had delighted in torturing her for almost her entire life made Sabrina hope that one day that sisters might indeed be as close as she and Daphne were—or rather as they had been and as Sabrina hoped they would be again.

Furthermore, the flying monkeys that Puck had announced were on their way.

Puck landed beside his wife with Emma in his arms.

"Mom!" Emma cried, practically jumping out of her father's arms and toward her mother when Puck's feet touched the ground.

Sabrina knelt and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "I know. I was scared too," she admitted.

"That was SO cool!" Emma announced with a grin.

Sabrina's jaw dropped. "What?"

"Look!" Emma said as she pointed to the sky where the flying monkeys were circling around in confusion. "Dad really _does_ have flying monkeys!"

Sabrina sighed heavily though it sounded like a laugh as she released it. "I'm glad you approve," she chuckled as she turned an exasperated gaze to her husband.

"You didn't actually think I was going to let her fall, did you?" Puck asked as if the thought had never occurred to him that Sabrina would be so concerned.

"I didn't have time to figure out _what _I thought," Sabrina admitted as she tried to breathe normally. It was as if Puck had taken her on an emotional roller coaster without warning her to pack Dramamine.

Emma burst out of her mother's arms, and Sabrina sank down to the ground as she attempted to recover her emotional equilibrium. These woods were just filled with so many memories—mostly bad ones. She felt the weight of her childhood responsibilities come closing in on her as if these traps of Puck's weren't simply some ancient artifacts of a war that had been fought almost thirty years earlier. The past seemed to be closing in around her, and the thought made her head swim in dizziness.

Puck knelt beside her. "I'm sorry, Sabrina. I didn't mean to scare you. I guess I'm just out of practice when it comes to being the Trickster King. My timing's a bit off, huh?"

"To be honest," Sabrina said with a breathless chuckle. "It was never that great to begin with."

Puck managed a thin smile. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

Sabrina grasped her husband's arm as he held her. tightly "There's just something about watching your daughter fall that quickly after believing for a moment that your whole family is going to be fodder for the Scarlet Hand—"

She felt the blood drain from her face as she raised a finger to her husband. "I'll—I'll—I'll be all right in a minute."

"MOM!" Her daughters called in unison as everything went black.

* * *

The feeling of wind rushing across her face woke Sabrina, and she looked up to find her husband holding her as he flew toward the center of Ferryport Landing. She offered him a groggy half-smile. "What happened?"

"You passed out. In the forest," Puck said with a worried look. "We're taking you back to Daphne's house. And I'm calling anyone I can to see what's going on with you—even Baba Yaga if I have to."

Sabrina laughed softly. "I don't need anyone to look at me. I'm fine."

"No, Sabrina," Puck said soberly. "You're not fine."

Sabrina sighed wearily. "Where are the girls?"

"I'm over here, Mom," Emma said with a wave. She was on Puck's left, being carried by two of Puck's flying monkey minions.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Alison asked with deep concern from Puck's right.

"Eyes straight ahead, Alison," Puck instructed as she turned her head from her course. "You fly in the direction you look. Never turn your head in flight."

Alison righted her posture instantly.

"I'm fine, sweetheart," Sabrina assured as she answered her daughter's earlier question. She looked up at her husband. "Really, I'm feeling much better."

"Sabrina, I haven't seen you look that weak, that sick, since before—" Puck swallowed with emotion. "The Trickster King is dead and buried. You can count on that."

"No, he's not," Sabrina said with a small chuckle.

"I swear it. He's gone. From now on, it's just the King of Faerie and Puck the family man," he promised soberly.

"It _is_ possible to play pranks that aren't nearly as violent or stinky as they were when we were fighting a war," Sabrina said with a small smile. She sobered slightly as she contemplated what had just happened. "Besides, that's not why I passed out. It was all the memories that are in that forest."

Puck seemed skeptical as they landed in Daphne's backyard. "You and I both know that you've never passed out because of a memory in your life. It's magic that makes you sick."

"And what magic is making me sick?" Sabrina asked as she lifted her empty hands to him. She struggled against his hold on her. "Let me down, I can walk."

"Not until Daphne tells me that you're completely free of magic," Puck said as he stubbornly tightened his grip on her and walked toward the house.

Sabrina groaned. It was going to be a long day.


	19. Chapter 19

_You guessed it...still present day..._

Daphne's brow furrowed as her lips turned downward in a frown. "This isn't magic," she said with a puzzled look at her sister. "At least, I don't think it is."

"What do you mean you don't think?" Puck demanded. "Don't you know?"

"Magic isn't an exact science, Puck," Daphne reminded him. "But this isn't like Sabrina's reactions to magic in the past. She was probably just overwhelmed and tired."

"That's what I said," Sabrina said with a sigh as she stood. "You woke the pregnant woman up so she could tell you what I already told you. I'm fine."

Daphne seemed to hesitate for a moment, and Sabrina could see that Daphne had something on her mind.

"Say it," Sabrina said with a sigh.

"Given your history, I think it would be prudent for you to take it easy and for us to keep an eye on you," Daphne admitted.

"My history?" Sabrina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, your history," Puck said soberly. "A physical intolerance for magic, two magical pregnancies that required you to be put into an enchanted sleep so you would survive them, and that's not counting your run-ins with the Everafter community—from rebels like the Scarlet Hand to everyday troublemakers in New York City. You have a history with magic that isn't exactly a good one."

Sabrina raised a warning eyebrow to her husband as she attempted to silence him.

Daphne held up her hands to calm the group. "There's nothing definitive one way or the other about what your symptoms are, Sabrina," she said with a shrug. "But if I really do know you as well as I think I do, then, I know there's a lot more going on here than just being overwhelmed with memories like you were describing or you being tired. There's something else that you're not telling us, isn't there?"

Sabrina hesitated for a moment. Her daughters were safe in the living room, looking at the family journals while she was in Daphne's secluded home office. She looked at Puck. She'd already told Puck about her concerns at work. Maybe now it was time to share them with Daphne.

"You're right," she admitted. "There have been a few things at work that have given me cause for concern."

Daphne raised an eyebrow, prompting her sister to go on.

Sabrina swallowed, knowing that what she was about to tell her sister would worry the woman, possibly without cause. "There seems to be a resurgence of the Scarlet Hand in New York."

Daphne's eyebrows shot up in concern. "What?"

Sabrina nodded. "Some Everafters—I still don't know who—discovered what happened at Charming's Castle. As a lawyer, I look at what we did and realize intellectually that it probably falls under the category of cruel and unusual punishment, but I don't know that I would have done anything differently if I had to do it over again." She heaved a heavy sigh. "Anyway, this group seems to believe that this is unfair treatment of Everafters. If there was a court where they could air their grievances, it might be one thing, but after our last attempt to build a legal system for Faerie, there isn't. So, they've taken to threatening our family. They vandalized my office with their red hand print symbol a few weeks ago, and I've been getting threatening emails and faxes. Honestly, my office staff is spooked." Sabrina exhaled slowly as if she was about to admit something she hadn't even wanted to admit to herself. "And honestly, so am I."

"Maybe you and the girls should stay here for a little while," Daphne suggested earnestly. "If you need to do some investigating, you and Puck can go into the city while the girls stay with us, but it sounds like even being home might not be a safe place for you."

Sabrina swallowed. "I didn't mention it because it's gotten quite _that _bad. If it had, I would have called you earlier."

Daphne nodded as Sabrina continued.

"I only mention it because for all I know they might have exposed me to something that is affecting my health."

"You mean, you think they're responsible for your fainting spell?" Puck asked, surprised.

She swallowed. "Maybe it's silly, but over the last couple of days I've been feeling a little off my game. As we were telling the stories of the last fifteen years to the girls, I was getting a little woozy and nauseated. I assumed that was just some sort of recall from the memories I was accessing, but after I fainted in the woods—I just think it might be something bigger than that." She sighed as she turned to her husband. "And before you ask, while I suppose it could a possibility that I'm pregnant, I think that both of us know what that _actually_ looks like for me. And mild nausea with the occasional fainting spell isn't it."

Puck nodded.

"Besides," she said with a chuckle. "I'm forty-two!"

Daphne tried to hide a wry half-smile. "Yeah—a forty-two-year-old Everafter who can halt her aging at will. Somehow I have the feeling you could have as many children as you wanted for as long as you wanted."

Sabrina laughed. "Okay, so maybe my age isn't as big a factor as it might have been. But let the record show that my two daughters are a handful as they are. I'm good with two."

Daphne chuckled softly.

Puck's eyes remained as serious as they had been before Sabrina tried to lighten the mood. "I think we should go to Faeire tomorrow and see if anyone's heard anything about the Scarlet Hand, and have the court physician take a look at you. I'll have a cocoon standing by." His eyes darkened protectively as he turned to his wife. "You didn't tell me about the vandalism."

Sabrina's smile fell. She'd forgotten about that. "Honestly, it was a red hand print that I was able to clean off before anyone else got back to work," she said with a shrug. "You wouldn't even be able to tell that it had ever been there!"

He slammed his fist onto Daphne's desk angrily. "Sabrina, I don't care whether you think you're Wonder Woman or not! I'm your husband! I'm the King of Faerie! I needed to know about that!"

Sabrina nodded somewhat meekly. Ever since they'd married, Puck had become almost as overprotective of her as her father had been. She suspected that her father might have had something to do with that. After all, nearly thirty years earlier, Henry Grimm _had_ chastised the Trickster King for being less protective of her than a man in love should have been. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to worry."

Puck took a deep breath to calm himself before he knelt beside her chair. He peered up into her eyes with tender concern, and managed a thin smile. "I love you, Sabrina Grimm. I have for a long time. More than once, I've come face-to-face with the possibility of losing you and raising our girls on my own." He managed a thin, strangled chuckle as if he was trying to lighten the mood though his heart was still too heavy to laugh. "I know, that's a scary thought. Imagine what monsters our girls would be if they didn't have you to stabilize them."

Sabrina put a hand on his cheek to comfort him. "Oh, Puck," she whispered. "You're a wonderful father. You always have been."

"I appreciate that," he said softly. "But I _need _to know when something is threatening my family. I need to know when I need to protect you."

"You do remember that I have been trained by the best, right?" Sabrina asked with a small half-smile.

Puck nodded. "And it gives me some peace to know that you could hold your own," he admitted. "But I didn't just save your life when we were kids so that I could throw it in your face every moment I could, I did it so I that I could marry you someday. And now that I have, I want to keep saving you so that you'll still be here with me when I decide to get old and gray."

Sabrina nodded softly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Puck nodded as if he accepted her apology, and then wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Sabrina Grimm. And I couldn't bear the thought of living in a world without you."

"Another Everafter marriage saved by my therapist couch," Daphne quipped as she pressed her hands against the desk and heaved her awkward frame out of the ergonomic chair she'd sat in. "Now, I believe your daughters want to hear how I _finally_ married Pinocchio."


	20. Chapter 20

_Five and a half years earlier:_

Time passed so quickly, Daphne thought to herself as she walked down the corridors of NYU. Only a few years earlier, she had been walking the halls of this very university as a student. Now, however, she was a guest lecturer at the very university where she had received her education.

"Dr. Grimm!"

The voice of a young student caught her attention, and Daphne turned to see the young woman hurrying after her.

"Dr. Grimm, I loved your presentation today," the young woman said with a grin as she caught up to Daphne. "I love what you said about fairy tales being a necessity and not just a luxury."

Daphne smiled. "Thank you. As someone who didn't hear any fairy tales until I was in first grade, I feel that I have a unique perspective on life without fairy tales."

"You didn't hear any fairy tales until you were in first grade?" The young woman asked in surprise. "How is that possible?"

Daphne nodded. "My father wanted to protect me and my sister."

"From unrealistic expectations?" The young woman said with a nod. "I guess that makes some sense."

Daphne didn't answer. She didn't want to have to try and explain all of the reasons which had compelled her father to hide the reality of Everafters from her and her sister. "So, you're studying psychology?"

"Actually, I'm not," the student said as she shook her head. "My roommate is studying psychology, and she thought I'd enjoy the lecture."

"I see," Daphne said with a nod. "And what are you studying?"

"This is going to sound silly," she said with a blush. "I want to be a writer. I want to write novels."

Daphne smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

"When I heard about the topic of your lecture, I looked you up on the internet," the girl said as she reached into her purse. "I read both of your latest papers, and I have to admit that they surprised me."

"Surprised you how?" Daphne asked curiously.

"Well, first of all, you started gaining notoriety with a paper called "The Dysfunction of Fairy Tales," and yet, you claim that fairy tales are a necessity," she said soberly. She had retrieved a small notepad upon which she could write a few notes. "That's surprising."

Daphne chuckled. "You said you read both of my papers, and yet you're surprised by my lecture. Seems to me you didn't read them very closely."

The young woman opened her mouth to speak, but Daphne shook her head. "Don't. I remember what it was like to be an undergrad."

Daphne swallowed. "My first paper, "The Dysfunction of Fairy Tales," was written for an undergrad abnormal psych class. My professor assigned a paper where we were supposed to look at deviant behavior in literature and discuss its effect on the minds of living people. Because of my fascination with fairy tales, I looked at the villains of fairy tales and wrote a paper on the lessons that they teach young audiences. Six months later, as a followup, I wrote the paper I just presented today called "The Necessity of Fairy Tales," in which I discussed the heroes of various well-known fairy tales and the lessons we could learn from their journeys from once upon a time to happily ever after."

The young woman began nodding in understanding.

"The two papers, though they can be read alone, make a great deal more sense when you read them both," Daphne said with a small smile.

"Daphne?"

The familiar voice made Daphne stand up straighter and look behind her. There, looking surprised, was Pinocchio. He looked even more handsome than the last time she'd seen him, but there was something cold about his eyes. She hadn't had the courage to look at his eyes since they'd determined to remain only friends. Now, what she saw there, the hollowness and frigidness, broke her heart almost more than their initial separation.

Daphne tried to open her mouth to speak, but she was more surprised to see Pinocchio than she wanted to admit. Gathering her wits about her, she turned to the young woman still standing with her.

"Read my papers," she suggested. "Once you've read them, if you have any other questions, email me at the address in the lecture program, and I'll try to answer you as quickly as I can."

"Thank you, Dr. Grimm," the girl said as she put away her notebook.

"Good luck with your writing," Daphne said with a small smile.

As the girl left, Daphne turned slowly toward Pinocchio. "I didn't expect to see you here," she said softly.

"I didn't expect to see you either," he said soberly. "I was attending a symposium on constitutional law. I was just headed for some dinner when I ran into you."

Daphne swallowed. It wasn't that they hadn't seen each other over the last ten years, but they had distanced themselves from one another. She supposed they'd both done it to save themselves from the pain of remembering how good their relationship had been when it had first started and feeling the pain of how quickly everything had gone bad.

"Constitutional law?" She managed as she tried to hide the sudden emotion she felt at seeing her ex-boyfriend. "I thought you were a defense attorney."

"I'm expanding my horizons," Pinocchio said as he studied her. He seemed troubled by what he saw and turned away from her for a moment. He cleared his throat the way he usually did when he tried to change the subject. "Teaching now?"

Daphne shook her head. "I was guest-lecturing for a friend. In fact, I was about to go home myself."

Pinocchio nodded as he looked out the window at the snow which had begun to fall on the campus. "It's begun to look pretty nasty out there," he said slowly. "I doubt that you'll make it all the way to Ferryport Landing in this weather."

"Then, I'll stay with Puck and Sabrina for the night," she said with a shrug.

"What are you driving?" He asked as he turned back to look at her.

"My car," she said as if she didn't want to answer the question.

"What kind of car?" He pressed in irritation.

"Why do you want to know?" Daphne asked, getting equally irritated with him. Who did he think he was? Her father?

"Either you tell me what kind of car you're driving or I will pick you up, throw you over my shoulder, and carry you out to my car," Pinocchio snapped.

Daphne swallowed. A part of her wanted to tell him that it was none of his business, but she could see in his eyes that it would do no good. She sighed. "Just my old Camry. It doesn't even have snow tires on it yet."

Pinocchio smacked his palm to his forehead as if he couldn't believe she'd been so foolish.

"I have an appointment to get them on Monday, but I wasn't expecting to be out in the storm. I was sure I'd be home before it hit!" She defended.

"Well, you're not home, and there's the storm!" He countered. He sighed as he reached out for her hand. "Come on. Let's go."

"Let's go?" She asked, refusing to take his hand.

"You don't think I'm going to let you go out in that death trap you call a car, do you?" He asked with an exasperated and scornful snicker. "No. You're coming with me." He grabbed her hand, and began walking toward the exit. "We're getting something to eat, and then I'm dropping you off at your sister's."

"I'm not a child!" She protested as she wrenched her hand out of his grasp.

"No. If you were a child, this would be easier," he said as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" She yelled as she used her fists to pound on his back.

"Do you promise to let me drive you to your sister's?" He asked as he continued walking down the corridor.

"Of course not! I am perfectly capable of—"

"Then, we're going to do it the hard way," Pinocchio snapped as he interrupted her train of thought.

"This is humiliating," she groaned as she realized the futility of her resistance. She sighed and went limp in Pinocchio's grasp as he trudged through the snow storm toward his SUV in absolute silence.


	21. Chapter 21

_Present Day_

Sabrina couldn't help but giggle at the thought of Daphne being draped over Pinocchio's shoulder. Apparently, the girls felt the same way because pretty soon, the whole living room had erupted into giggles, from Puck to the girls to Sabrina.

Daphne herself smiled. "Looking back on it, it is pretty funny, but the night got far more interesting after we got to the car."

* * *

_Five and a half years earlier_

As Pinocchio set Daphne in the front seat of the car, she looked around. What had possessed Pinocchio to purchase an SUV? He lived in New York City where compact cars were far more appropriate than such a large and heavy vehicle.

Pinocchio slid into the driver's seat and turned a reluctant smile to Daphne. "I know you're wondering why I'm driving such a monstrous vehicle in New York City."

"The thought had occurred to me," she said, surprised by his smile.

"Well, I had a feeling I'd have to come to the aid of a damsel in distress one day," he said with a teasing smile. "Although you really put up more of a fight than I expected."

"I am not a damsel in distress!" Daphne protested as she prepared to fight with him again. One look at his eyes to see the teasing amusement dance within them made Daphne stop in her tracks. She blushed as she began to chuckle. "I guess I did make it a bit tough for you to be a knight in shining armor."

A small half-smile played on Pinocchio's lips as he turned the key in the ignition. He moved to pull out of the parking lot, but hesitated for a moment. He sat back in his seat and turned to Daphne. "I know you'd probably rather head back to Ferryport Landing than suffer through dinner with me or even stay the night with Sabrina. If you'd like, I can take you to Ferryport Landing. And you can take the train back and pick your car up when the weather's clear."

Daphne wasn't sure she was interested in spending the next few hours locked in a car with Pinocchio, but Pinocchio was right. She wanted to get home to Ferryport Landing—almost more than she wanted to see her sister, brother-in-law, and nieces. She just wanted to sit by the fire and read the family journals, and maybe even make an entry into her own.

"I don't want you to go out of your way," she said softly. "Besides, I don't want to leave my car overnight."

"It's no trouble," he assured. "And if this storm is as bad as they're suggesting, no one's going to touch your car."

Daphne managed a thin smile.

"Look," Pinocchio said apparently noting her discomfort. "Why don't we drive down to Greenwich Village and get some dinner? If the storm holds, we'll go to Ferryport Landing. If it gets worse, I'll take you to Sabrina and Puck's, okay?"

Daphne hesitated for a moment before she nodded. "If the weather clears up, you bring me back to pick up my car."

Pinocchio looked surprised but he nodded. "_If_ the weather spontaneously clears, I'll bring you back to get your car."

Daphne smiled softly as he put the car into reverse and drove out of the parking lot. She studied her traveling companion for a moment. He was wearing a thick, woolen dress coat with a warm pair of gloves and a matching scarf. Clearly, he'd been more aware of the predictions for the weather than she had. She'd worn a woolen burgundy skirt suit, a pair of matching heels, and a fashionable gray cape. She was warm enough, but if Pinocchio hadn't carried her out to his car, she was certain she might have slipped on some of the ice patches she'd seen them pass over.

"Something on your mind?" Pinocchio asked as he turned an inquisitive eye to her.

She shook the thoughts from her mind, and looked over at him. "Oh, I'm just wondering where we're going."

"I thought maybe you could tell me if there are any places around here worth checking out," he said as he looked over.

"Well, when I was a student, I used to go to the Focacceria for paninis and espresso," Daphne said with a smile.

"Italian food?" Pinocchio asked as if the thought made him slightly ill.

"What's wrong with Italian food?" Daphne grumbled. "You're Italian!"

"That's exactly the point!" Pinocchio exploded. "I know what it's supposed to taste like!"

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Of course. No one would be able to match your grandmother's recipe..."

Pinocchio fell silent as he drove down the road. "I never had a grandmother." He sighed softly. "I was a puppet, remember?"

Though she was surprised by Pinocchio's choice of words, Daphne felt instantly sorry for her outburst. "I'm sorry, Pinocchio. I—I forgot."

"Americans seem to think that if they put enough garlic, basil, tomatoes, and Italian sausage in something that it's suddenly Italian," he said as he pulled into a street-side parking space. "But that's not what makes something Italian." He swallowed as he sat back in his seat. "It's the heart of the cook that makes something truly Italian."

"Oh?" Daphne asked, surprised by his outburst.

Pinocchio nodded. "My father made a marinara sauce that could not be equaled by anyone in Collodi, the town where my father was born, and where he made me. It was the only thing he was known for besides his kindness and his skill for crafting children's playthings."

"Your father and his marinara sauce?" Daphne asked with a smile.

"You've heard of spaghetti and meatballs, of course," Pinocchio said as he looked over at her.

She nodded. It had been one of her favorite meals as a child. If truth be told, it still was.

"When my father made spaghetti, he didn't need to make meatballs for people to come for miles just to be a guest of his lowly table," Pinocchio said with a tender smile. "It was one of the things I missed most when my father and I were separated." He was quiet for a moment, and he cleared his throat. "It's one of the things I still miss today."

"I didn't know," she whispered as she placed a kind hand on his arm.

"No Italian food, okay?" He asked as he turned a pained expression to her.

She nodded. She looked down the street to another of her favorite spots as a student. "There's the Creperie. They serve sweet and savory crepes until three or four in the morning. It was my favorite place to pull all-nighters."

Pinocchio smiled. "With your affinity for all things pancake, I'm not surprised."

Daphne grinned as she moved to get out of the car. But she paused, and turned back to Pinocchio.

"Yes?" He asked as he noticed her sudden change.

Daphne had so much she wanted to tell him. So much she needed to say, but there was too much history between them to let her say it.

"Nothing," she said as she shook her head, feeling oddly emotional. "I feel—" She hesitated before she looked up at him. She swallowed the emotions down as she managed a sad smile. "I've missed this."

Pinocchio hesitated before he reached a hand out to hers. "So have I."

He held her hand in his for a few moments. Daphne bit her lip as she looked over at him. There was something about him that was calling out to her as if he wanted her to make the first move in rekindling their relationship.

"Pinocchio," she whispered.

With the utterance of his name, the spell was broken, and Pinocchio pulled his hand out of hers. The warmth and regret which had been evident only a moment earlier disappeared. "We'd better hurry," he said gruffly. "The storm's getting worse."

Daphne swallowed as she turned away from him. Sudden tears sprang to her eyes which she carefully wiped away. What was wrong with her? Ten years ago, she'd sworn this would never work. Ten years ago, she'd been the one to break his heart. Now she wanted him to come back to her?

Daphne stepped out of the car and onto the pavement. Her heels sunk into the three inches of snow that had fallen since she'd begun her lecture. The cold, wet feel of the snow on her feet made her shiver involuntarily as she closed the door and headed toward the restaurant.

She was grateful to discover that, as she'd remembered, the Creperie was open and seemed that it would be open for a while. She walked into the cozy restaurant and shook the snow from her cape.

"Nasty weather out there," the woman behind the counter said with a sympathetic smile. "I was sure we wouldn't have anyone come in today."

"I'm just glad you're still open," Daphne admitted with a small chuckle.

"I just live a few blocks away," the woman said with a grin. "And I have my boots and a nice, warm coat. I figure I can walk home if it gets too bad. And I have mace if any muggers are crazy enough to be out here when I get off."

Daphne chuckled as Pinocchio entered the small restaurant.

"Wow! Two customers! You've just made my night!" The woman said as she prepared to take their orders. "What can I get for you?"

"Can I get a menu?" Pinocchio said as he walked over to one of the tables.

"Honey, there are no menus," the woman at the counter said with a laugh. "You tell me what you want, and I make it for you." She pointed to the chalkboard above her head. "Up here you'll find the ingredients we have, and some of our specials. Maybe it'll give you some ideas."

Pinocchio seemed irritated, but he stood and joined Daphne.

As he studied the menu, the woman looked over at Daphne. "You look familiar. Have I seen you around?"

Daphne shrugged. "Maybe. I studied psychology at NYU. This was my favorite place to spend an all-nighter."

The woman smiled. "Then, for old times' sake, I'll give you the all-nighter deal."

"Bottomless coffee cup and all-you-can-eat-crepes for $19.99 with tax," Daphne said with a grin. "I remember it well."

Pinocchio turned to Daphne with surprise. "Bottomless coffee cup?"

'Yes," Daphne said with a grin. "Coffee with free refills. All the crepes you can eat. Oh, those were great times!" She turned to the woman. "I think I gained about five pounds at the end of every semester!"

The woman laughed. "You and me both, sweetie! Now, what can I start for you?"

"A nutella and strawberry crepe with a dollop of whipped cream on top."

"We're here for dinner, Daphne," Pinocchio said as he looked over Daphne.

"So?" Daphne asked with an amused smile. "The night's still young."

"I like your style," the woman said as she took down the order. She punched a few buttons on the register. "That'll be $19.99."

Daphne reached into her purse and retrieved her wallet as Pinocchio turned to the woman. "We're together."

Daphne snapped her head over to look at Pinocchio in surprise. "We are?"

Pinocchio shot a dirty look at her. "_I_ asked _you_ to join me for dinner. That means that I pay for it."

Daphne swallowed. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that was the deal."

She put her wallet away as Pinocchio turned to the woman. "I'd like the Chicken Florentine crepe please."

"Anything to drink with that?" She asked as she notated his order on a pad of paper.

Pinocchio shook his head. "Just a glass of water."

"Coming right up," she said as she wrote it down. "You sure you don't want anything else with Chicken Florentine crepe?"

"I'm sure," Pinocchio said as he raised an eyebrow in irritation.

"Okay, okay," she said as she punched some more buttons on the register. "That'll be $26.86."

Pinocchio opened his wallet and retrieved two bills, a ten and a twenty, and handed them to the woman behind the bar. "Keep the change."

"Thanks," she said with a grin. "I'll have your orders ready in a jiffy."

Daphne eyed Pinocchio somewhat warily as she walked over to one of the empty tables. "Thank you for dinner," she said softly as she sat. "And for the ride."

"You're welcome," he said with a sigh as he sat down across from her.

They sat in uncomfortable silence for a few moments, and the woman behind the counter brought Daphne her cup of coffee and Pinocchio's glass of water. "Let me know if you need anything else, okay?"

"Thank you," Daphne said as she looked up and read the woman's name tag. "Linda."

Linda smiled widely as she walked back over to make the orders. "That's my name, don't wear it out."

Daphne reached for her cup of coffee and stirred a packet of sugar into it. Then, she looked up at Pinocchio. "You seem to have something on your mind. Do you want to tell me what it is or should I guess?'

Pinocchio looked over at her with a skeptical eyebrow raised. "Why don't you guess? I'd love to hear what you think I'm thinking."

"I think you're uncomfortable being around me," Daphne said simply. "Which isn't terribly earth-shattering given our history. But it does beg the question why you were so worried about whether or not my car was going to make it in the snow, and why you've insisted on buying me dinner and taking me home."

Pinocchio was silent as if he was formulating his answer. He toyed with his glass of water for a moment before he looked up. "Your grandmother took me in when I had no where to go. I owe a debt to her—nothing more."

"I see," Daphne said with a simple nod. The answer hurt Daphne almost physically, but she couldn't believe that Pinocchio actually felt that way. His behavior, although protective, had been a different brand of protective than that of Mr. Canis or even of her father.

It was the kind of protectiveness that Daphne had seen in Puck when Sabrina had announced she was pregnant a second time. It was the kind of protectiveness that Henry had for Veronica whenever she was trying to help Everafters for whom Henry had particular distrust.

Daphne sipped at her coffee, and she could feel Pinocchio's eyes resting on her.

"So, that's it?" He asked after a moment. "You're not going to grill me?"

"Why should I?" She asked as she looked up with a simple shrug. "It's obvious that you've shut down the lines of communication. You're short-tempered with everyone—including innocent bystanders—and you're going from hot to cold in your affections. I assume if there was something really wrong, you'd say something. But I'm enough of a psychologist to know when you're not going to tell me anything."

Pinocchio seemed surprised, but he sat back and lifted his glass. "Good," he said as he took a drink.

"One Nutella and strawberry crepe with whipped cream," Linda said as she placed the plate in front of Daphne. She turned to Pinocchio. "Your crepe's going to take a little longer, but I'll have it out in no time."

Pinocchio nodded impatiently as Daphne began to cut her crepe with a knife and fork.

"Linda, this is delicious," Daphne said as she turned a bright smile to the waitress and chef after her first bite. "I'm sorry there isn't anyone else around to enjoy your cooking."

"Oh, don't worry about me," Linda said with a cheery chuckle. "I've got plenty to keep me busy."

She turned on the radio before she turned to her guests. "Do you mind if I keep an ear on the weather?"

"Go ahead," Daphne said with a smile. "In fact, we'd probably better listen pretty closely to the road closings and all that." She turned an eye to Pinocchio. "They may change our plans."

"So where are you folks headed?" Linda asked as she busied herself making Pinocchio's crepe.

"A little town a couple of hours from here called Ferryport Landing," Daphne said as she prepared to take another bite. "I was here as a guest lecturer for a professor friend of mine. I ran into my friend while I was there."

"I was at the symposium on Constitutional law," Pinocchio quipped.

"Sounds like fate to me," Linda said cheerfully. "I mean, you two meet at NYU—where neither of you usually are—and you come to me on your way to Ferryport Landing. I had family in Ferryport Landing a long time ago."

"Did you?" Daphne asked as she perked up.

Linda nodded. "My sister owned a diner in town. She moved away a few years back. Said something about wanting to see the world."

Daphne turned to Pinocchio as her mind ran with possibilities. Was this the Blue Fairy's sister? Did the Blue Fairy even have a sister?

Linda seemed to sense her thoughts because she offered the woman a knowing smile as she delivered Pinocchio's crepe to him. "You're the Grimm girl, aren't you? I met your mother a few years ago. Lovely woman. Was sad when she disappeared and happy when she came back." Linda motioned to the walls around her. "If it wasn't for Veronica Grimm, I wouldn't have this place here." She turned to Daphne with a small smile. "And that's the truth."

"You're the Blue Fairy's sister," Daphne whispered as if testing out her theory like a child tested the water of a lake with their toe.

Linda nodded. "No one knows about me—my story was never collected."

"Well, I'd be happy to write your story down, if you'd like," Daphne said with a grin.

"Maybe someday," Linda said with a nod. She motioned to Pinocchio. "Seems to me that you have bigger fish to fry."

Pinocchio seemed to be somewhat perturbed at the thought of being compared with a fish. "Thank you, Linda," he said with a simmering frustration at the woman's constant chatter.

"I can take a hint," Linda said as she walked back over to the stoves.

"So, you won't talk, and you won't let me talk, is that it?" Daphne asked as she took another bite of her crepe.

Pinocchio rolled his eyes. "I don't care what you do. Just leave me out of it."

Daphne shook her head. "You started this. You threw me over your shoulder and took me to your car. Then, you proceeded to insist that you pay for my dinner, and that you drive me back to my house. I don't think you actually want me to leave you out of it."

She cut a piece of her crepe and offered it to him with her other hand under the crepe to catch anything that should slip out of the thin pancake. "Here, try this."

"I don't want to."

"I know you're watching your cholesterol levels," Daphne said in a soothing voice. "But I also know that you like Nutella. And strawberries." She caught his gaze with her own. "One bite isn't going to kill an Everafter like you."

Pinocchio sighed for a moment as he took the bite that Daphne offered. "There. Happy now?"

"Terribly. But it has nothing to do with whether or not you'll eat my crepe," she said with a teasing smile.

"Then why are you happy?' Pinocchio asked as he put down his own fork.

"I don't let circumstances dictate my emotions," Daphne said soberly. "I know that I can choose to be happy when other people choose not to be happy. I can make the decision to be offended or grateful or anything else—regardless of what other people think I should do. It's my choice."

Pinocchio looked thoughtful and looked down at his crepe for a moment. "And what about when my choices affect someone else's happiness? Does this philosophy absolve everyone of meddling with other people's feelings?"

Daphne waited until he looked back up at her to answer. "I didn't meddle in your feelings, Pinocchio," she assured him. "I didn't think we had the right timing, that's all."

"You broke up with me because you weren't sure you were ready to get married," Pinocchio said pointedly. "And I think it's interesting that you hinted around that that was the issue though you never said it outright."

Daphne looked down at her hands in shame for a moment before she looked back up at him. "That was ten years ago. I was twenty years old. I was young."

"Is that supposed to make it right?" He challenged.

"No," Daphne said with a shake of her head. "While I stand behind the decision I made ten years ago, I didn't make it without some regrets."

"What kind of regrets?" Pinocchio asked almost suspiciously.

"That our bad timing seemed to doom us to be alone for the last ten years—and maybe even longer," Daphne said quietly.

Pinocchio studied her for a moment as if he was unsure of what to say.

They seemed to have hit the heart of their troubles, Daphne realized. But before she could say anything, Linda turned up the volume on the radio. "Listen to this, you two."

The news bulletin on the radio announced that the highway which led to Ferryport Landing was closed until the weather had improved.

"Residents of New York City are being asked, wherever possible, to remain in their homes and wait out the storm," the news anchor said.

"Guess this is one of those times when you get to make your _own_ decision about how you feel instead of letting your circumstances dictate it," Linda quipped.

Daphne sighed as she watched the blood drain from Pinocchio's face. It seemed there was nothing worse to him than spending an indeterminate amount of time with her. Despite her exhortations to choose your emotions for yourself instead of allowing circumstances to determine them, Daphne felt her heart sink at the thought of Pinocchio wanting to spend as little time with her as he could—that she was a duty and a debt to be repaid rather than someone to be loved or cared for.

Daphne turned to Linda. "I guess it's a good thing I got the all-nighter special," she said with a weak smile. "How about another crepe?"


	22. Chapter 22

_Still five and a half years ago_

Pinocchio walked into the Creperie with a scowl on his face. "There is absolutely _no_ visibility!"

Daphne looked up from her crepe in an attempt to acknowledge that she'd heard him though she was seriously debating whether or not she wanted to actually speak to him.

Linda handed Pinocchio a cup of coffee.

"I didn't order that," he said as he eyed the cup suspiciously.

"No, sugar, you didn't," she said with a shake of her head. "It's to warm you up, and it's on the house."

He seemed almost instantly contrite as he bowed his head in gratitude to her. "Thank you."

He sighed as he took the cup to the table that he was sharing with Daphne. "You wouldn't happen to have anything with you that would make this whole thing just, you know, go away, would you?"

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "_Now_, you ask that?"

Pinocchio frowned as he took a sip of coffee.

Daphne sighed. She'd made one more mistake in dealing with his bad mood—and she was supposed to be the expert psychologist here. "No, Pinocchio, I didn't bring anything that would help this storm pass. I'm afraid we're stuck here."

Pinocchio nodded slowly. Though he seemed reluctant to admit it, he also seemed to find a certain amount of peace that came with the admission.

"I see you've got a fireplace, Linda," he said as he turned to the cook. "You wouldn't happen to have anything we could use to keep it lit if we lost power, do you?"

"Of course!" Linda said proudly. "It's a wood stove, and I've got some wood piled in the back room."

"And I _do_ have something to help with that if we need it," Daphne said emphatically.

Pinocchio turned a nod to her. "Good. Having a few different options will help in case we get snowed in for more than just a few hours."

Daphne nodded. "Great. And we're in a restaurant, so we've got food."

"And those couches over there are good for more than the make-out sessions the college kids like to have once in a while," Linda said with a chuckle. "I've got blankets in the back room if we need them."

Both Daphne and Pinocchio tensed.

"Of course, if you're interested in making out, I'll make myself scarce," Linda said with a teasing gleam in her eye.

Daphne opened her mouth to contradict the woman, but she decided against it. "If I remember right from my college days, you have board games here."

Pinocchio looked at Daphne as if she had lost her mind.

"What?" She asked defensively. "If we're going to be stuck here for a few hours or a few days, we'll need something to do!"

Linda raised a hand to stop the bickering. "I do have a few board games here. And I'd be happy to play if you're not interested in playing with each other."

Daphne turned a grateful smile to the woman behind the counter before she turned a more serious look to Pinocchio. "We can't keep doing this," she said with a sigh. "Not if we're going to be stuck here together."

Pinocchio nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry if you thought I was trifling with your feelings or if I wasn't admitting that I wasn't ready to get married," Daphne said softly. "I tried to be sympathetic to your need to have a family, but I needed to know that once I had a family, it was going to stay a family. I didn't understand that as fully then as I do now." She swallowed as she felt tears sting her eyes. "I guess my parents' disappearance affected me more deeply than I ever cared to admit. Sabrina was the strong one, and I was the one she took care of, but I still walked away with some scars."

Pinocchio was silent as he sat beside her. He put a hand over hers as if he was trying to offer her what little comfort he could. "You were right that I wanted—that I needed—a family," he admitted.

"I thought as much," she admitted. She suddenly realized that Linda had disappeared. She had probably escaped to the back room as she and Pinocchio had begun talking.

Pinocchio nodded. "I realized that what you'd said was wise. Until a couple of years ago."

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "A couple of years ago?"

He nodded. "Yeah, at Lily Charming and Mustardseed's wedding."

Daphne nodded. She remembered it well. It had the first time she'd ever seen Pinocchio with a date, and she'd gotten terribly jealous. "As I remember it, you attended the wedding with Little Bo Peep."

"She was a client," Pinocchio said with a sigh.

"And you took her to a wedding?" Daphne asked as she raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Okay, okay, I was thinking about asking her out once I wasn't working on her case anymore," he admitted.

"But?" Daphne prompted when he hesitated.

"But when I saw you walk into the church with Wendell, I got so jealous that I realized I'd never be over you," he said with a sigh.

Daphne inhaled. She'd only gone with Wendell to Lily and Mustardseed's wedding because Wendell and his girlfriend had broken up a few days earlier. She'd hoped that Pinocchio would be at least a little jealous, but he'd been so cool to her and paid so much attention to Bo Peep that Daphne had been certain he'd forgotten every one of his earlier feelings for her.

"Bo Peep had a case?" Daphne asked, trying to avoid the subject.

Pinocchio sighed as he nodded. "She was fighting for custody of her sheep against Everafters for the Ethical Treatment of Talking Animals. They'd taken custody of her sheep on the grounds of neglect, and she fought them tooth and nail."

Daphne looked down. "I see. And she won?"

"Actually, she lost," Pinocchio said as he stood. "I guess you're not as ready to have this talk as you said you were."

Daphne swallowed. "I'm sorry. I just—didn't know what to say."

"You didn't know what to say? Well, there's a first," Pinocchio said with a small chuckle.

Daphne managed a small smile, but she sighed. "Why didn't you say something then?"

"Because I thought you were with Wendell," Pinocchio said in exasperation. "Weren't you with Wendell?"

"It was a date—he'd just broken up with his girlfriend. It wasn't anything serious," Daphne laughed. "Could you actually see me with Wendell?"

"The son of the Pied Piper and Daphne Grimm?" Pinocchio said as he sat back down. "Yeah, actually, I could."

"I guess it makes about as much sense as two Everafters who will always be thought of as children," Daphne said as she thought about what Pinocchio and Bo Peep might have in common.

Pinocchio shrugged.

"So, is that why you've been acting so strangely?" Daphne asked soberly.

"_I'm_ the one acting strangely?" Pinocchio asked with an amused chuckle.

"Are you suggesting that _I'm _acting strangely?" Daphne asked with a laugh.

"As a matter of fact," Pinocchio said with a nod.

"Oh yeah?" Daphne asked with a mischievous smile. "What have I done that was so odd?"

"Well, first of all, you drove from Ferryport Landing to New York City in that junker you call transportation," he said with a grin.

"It's not _nearly_ as bad as Uncle Jake's car!" Daphne said with a laugh. "That thing was like smog on wheels!"

Pinocchio laughed loudly. "I remember! Relda tried to take me out in that thing a few times! I told her that I'd rather have walked!"

Daphne's smile sobered at the mention of her late grandmother, and Pinocchio reached over to take her hand in his. "Relda loved you kids," he said softly. "But she was tired of being without Basil. Even the so-called sweetness of immortality couldn't ease that pain for her."

Daphne nodded slowly. "I know that," she said as she managed a small smile. "But I still miss her."

"So do I," Pinocchio said with tenderness in his voice.

"You do?" Daphne asked as she looked over at him.

"Of course," he said, seeming surprised that she would even ask such a thing. "If it hadn't been for Relda and Canis, I wouldn't be the man I am today."

Daphne nodded as she stood.

She walked over to the fireplace. For some reason, the warm flickering flames reminded Daphne of her grandmother's fighting spirit.

When she had been young—back before the Everafter War—thoughts of her grandmother had filled her with feelings of warmth, happiness and safety. Granny Relda had seen her potential before she'd been old enough to really care much about what her future looked like—beyond what was for dinner that night.

But after Granny Relda had been released from housing Mirror, she had been a changed woman. She was still warm and caring like she had always been, but there had been a shadow of regret that never left her eyes.

Daphne felt a heavy hand lay itself on her shoulder, and she turned to find Pinocchio standing beside her. "You have something on your mind," he said softly. "I take it that you're thinking about Relda?"

"She was never the same after Mirror held her captive in her own body," Daphne whispered. "Back when I was in school, I studied PTSD in a class, and I remember realizing that Granny Relda had shown all the symptoms."

Daphne turned tear-stained cheeks back to the flames in the fireplace. "I remember walking home with Granny Relda after Sabrina saved her and after everyone walked past the Barrier's old boundaries to the world that they hadn't seen for over four hundred years." Daphne swallowed down emotion as the memory became almost as clear to her then as it had been the day it had happened. "She felt responsible for every overturned tree and every destroyed building. She cried when she heard about Mr. Seven and your father as bitterly as if she had been the one who had delivered the blows that had ended their lives. And that's all I saw before my mom took Basil and me ahead."

Daphne bit her lip in an attempt to try and keep her tears at bay. "Mirror destroyed families. He took my parents, my baby brother, and my grandmother. He unleashed Atticus who killed Seven, your father, and almost kept Charming from marrying Snow by exposing the fact that he'd been edited, and—"

Pinocchio pressed a finger to her lips, and she fell silent.

"No wonder you weren't ready to get married ten years ago," he murmured sympathetically.

"What are you talking about?" She asked in surprise.

"Daphne, you've been carrying a lot of pain around on your shoulders," he said as if he could see past her facade. From your family's pain to everything that you've seen the rest of us go through, I'm surprised you're really able to function at all. You keep saying that Sabrina's the strong one, but I have to disagree with you. I think you're the strong one to be able to deal with all of this everyday."

"I just hate to see people hurt," Daphne said as she sat down on the couch by the fireplace.

"I know that," he said as he sat beside her. "It's one of the things I've always loved about you." He took one of her hands in his and interlaced their fingers. "I know I let you down ten years ago. I know you needed more emotional support than I gave you, but I hope you'll give me a second chance."

Daphne opened her mouth to speak, but Pinocchio continued. "I realize that doctor-patient confidentiality is just like lawyer-client privilege, so I'll never ask for any details, but if you ever need to talk to me about the burdens you're carrying because of your job or because you're a Grimm, I hope you'll give me a call."

Daphne put a hand on his chest and pushed him back. "Pinocchio, I don't know what's come over you. One minute, you're pretending that I'm the most inconvenient irritation you've ever encountered, and the next minute you're acting like we're back together. This is too much. This is too fast."

"You mean you don't want to get back together?" Pinocchio asked as his brow furrowed and his eyes darkened.

"I didn't say that," Daphne said as she pulled out of his embrace. "I just meant that I need a little time to figure things out."

"I thought you'd had ten years to figure everything out, Daphne," Pinocchio said with a sigh.

"I did, and I've really missed you, but there's been way too much that has happened between the two of us in this last ten years to just pretend like none of it happened," she said rationally.

"I'm not pretending that none of it happened," Pinocchio growled defensively.

"And just because we have some regrets doesn't mean that we're made for each other," Daphne added weakly. "It just means that we need to look back at how things happened. Maybe we've just been holding on to something safe—a memory that we can romanticize until it's unrealistic. Something that can never hurt us anymore."

Pinocchio studied her for a moment, and she felt naked—like he could see into every nook and cranny of her mind and soul from where he stood. Then, he reached out and took her into his arms. He descended his lips to hers and kissed her.

She felt her knees go weak, and she was suddenly grateful that his strong arms were around her. She was certain she'd fall if he hadn't been holding her.

"That," he whispered as he ended the kiss, "was more than a romanticized memory, Daphne."

"Um-hm," she murmured affirmatively.

Pinocchio looked somewhat smug as she slowly regained her wits about her.

"That wasn't fair," she cried more embarrassed than angry. She hated that he could still reduce her to momentary oblivion with a simple kiss.

"Daphne, we're good together," Pinocchio reminded her.

"Yes, but—" She stammered as he put his finger over her mouth.

"I'm not going to ask you to marry me again. Not right now," he admitted. "But I realize now that I let you get away far too easily ten years ago."

"But our jobs," Daphne interrupted. "We're both just as busy—probably busier—than we were ten years ago!"

Pinocchio grinned as if he had a secret that she didn't know. "You asked me why I was attending a symposium on Constitutional law if I was a lowly defense attorney."

"Yeah, and?" Daphne asked, confused by the turn of the conversation.

"I don't work with your sister's office anymore. I quit when I was offered another job," he said as his eyes twinkled merrily in the light of the fire.

"Pinocchio! My sister needed your help in that office!" She cried angrily. "Why did you just up and abandon her?"

"First of all, I didn't just abandon her," Pinocchio soothed. "Robin Hood and Little John are attorneys, remember? They started working with her when Puck offered me a job with Faerie."

"A job with fairies?" Daphne asked in confusion.

"No, a job with the kingdom of Faerie," Pinocchio said with a shake of his head. "I'm consulting Puck on how to develop a more democratic legal system for Faerie. Even though I travel a bit more than I used to, I'm really only working about forty hours a week now."

Daphne's eyes widened. "Really?"

He nodded. "When that project is done, I can either go back to being a defense attorney or something else." He looked over at her with a tender smile. "I'm hoping that by the time that happens, we'll be married and maybe waiting for our first child to make his or her appearance."

Daphne blushed. "Honestly, Pinocchio, you make it seem as though I've already agreed to marry you or—"

"Sh," Pinocchio interrupted as he placed a finger over her lips. "Don't say anything you'll regret later. Just—think about it, okay?"

Daphne swallowed before she nodded slowly.

"That's all I ask," Pinocchio said as he stood and walked back to the counter. "Hey, Linda! Can I get some more coffee?" He called.

Daphne couldn't move. She just sat there thinking about what he'd just said. _"I'm hoping that by the time that happens, we'll be married and maybe waiting for our first child to make his or her appearance."_

An image she'd forced out of her mind ten years ago returned to her mind. One of Pinocchio playing with their child as he turned a contented grin to her and then returned his attention to the child.

A warmth spread through her as she contemplated how happy she would be as Pinocchio's wife.

And then, the panic set in around her. What about the Everafters? What if there was another uprising? Her family had barely survived the last Everafter War. What if she and Sabrina had to save the world again? What would happen to her family if someone with a grudge against the Grimms decided to take action against them?

Daphne looked over at Pinocchio, who offered her a supportive smile, and promptly burst into tears.


	23. Chapter 23

_Present Day_

The sound of a laugh interrupted the story, and everyone turned to see Pinocchio's broad smile as his laughter died out. "I see you're telling everyone about how you finally succumbed to my charm."

Daphne chuckled. "I'm getting there. Right now, I'm at the part where—"

"I know what part you're at, love," he interrupted with a wink.

As he sat down beside his wife and put his arm around her shoulder and placed a loving hand on her growing belly, Sabrina couldn't help but feel immensely happy for her sister. She'd waited a long time for this happiness to come into her life. For someone to help carry her burdens as much as she was willing to help carry everyone else's burdens.

Puck tugged on Sabrina's sleeve. As she turned toward him, she could feel his lips come closer to her ear. "Maybe _that's _the reason Charming doesn't like me," he murmured with a chuckle.

Sabrina looked over at him in confusion as Puck grinned. "I don't think he's quite forgiven me for introducing his daughter, Lily, to my brother."

Sabrina giggled. Lily's first trip to Faerie had been an eventful one. While Charming and Puck discussed the feasibility of extending the influence of Faerie to all Everafters in both an effort to protect Everafters and to protect the peace that had come after the Everafter War, Mustardseed had been tasked with giving Lily Charming a tour of the kingdom.

By the time Charming had come to collect his daughter, she was smitten with the fairy whose gentleness and kindness had become legendary in the kingdom of Faerie. Especially in comparison with his brother's mischievousness.

Charming had been fuming as the girl had been merely fifteen years old at the time. Miraculously, Snow had managed to calm him down by telling him that teenaged girls were often infatuated with many handsome young men over the course of their adolescence. That peace lasted for seven years until Mustardseed and twenty-two-year-old Lily announced their engagement.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Sabrina giggled.

"What are you two laughing about?" Pinocchio asked as he looked over at his in-laws.

Sabrina and Puck continued to giggle loudly. Their laughter intensified so that they couldn't speak.

"I guess we'll ask later," Daphne said with a smile of her own.

"Maybe you can keep telling the story?" Emma asked hopefully.

Daphne nodded with a wink to her niece.

* * *

_Five and a half years ago_

Through her tears, Daphne could see Pinocchio's brow furrow in confusion as he walked over to her. "Daphne? Are you okay?"

She wasn't entirely sure. She certainly wasn't one to burst into tears at the drop of a hat.

"I'm f-fine," she stammered. She reached for one of the paper napkins on the table near her and used it to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"You don't sound fine," Pinocchio said as he sat beside her.

"It's hard to explain," Daphne admitted as her tears abated slowly.

"Why don't you try?" Pinocchio murmured compassionately as he rubbed her back gently.

Daphne swallowed. "You know, I studied repressed memories as a student of psychology. I studied all of this—anxiety, commitment issues—I could diagnose every thought that goes through your head if I really wanted to."

Pinocchio chuckled softly.

"But it isn't until you experience it for yourself that it really becomes real," she admitted softly.

"And what did you experience for yourself?" Pinocchio asked with tender concern as he held his arm around her shoulder.

"You were right," she whispered. "I was—I am—so afraid of what being a Grimm might do to my family that I'm sabotaging my relationships—especially my relationship with you."

"And what might being a Grimm do to your family?" He pressed gently.

"When I first moved to Ferryport Landing," Daphne began. "The Everafters—even some of the so-called good ones like Charming and Mama Bear and Beauty—wanted us dead."

"Because of the barrier," Pinocchio said with a nod.

"Because of the barrier," Daphne confirmed. She swallowed. "I'd never been hated before—certainly not with so much conviction. No one had ever really wanted to, and certainly never _tried_, to kill me before."

"That's hard," Pinocchio agreed.

"I guess I kind of repressed some of those memories," she said softly. She looked over at him with an apologetic look in her eyes. "I was fighting my feelings for you, but I didn't know why. I didn't know that the parts of my childhood which were locked away in my mind were keeping me from being able to move on."

"And what are you going to do about it now?" He asked gently.

"I'm not sure," she admitted with a small smile. "Could you kiss me and help me make up my mind?"

Pinocchio grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

_Present Day_

"That can't possibly be the end of the story!" Alison cried in dismay.

Pinocchio laughed. "It's not."

"Ugh! You're killing me!" Emma cried as she dramatically threw herself back on the couch.

Daphne chuckled as she reached for her husband's hand and pulled herself up. She stretched her back with a slight grimace.

"Something wrong?" Pinocchio asked as he looked up at his wife.

She shook her head. "I'm just a little sore. I was about to do my prenatal yoga when Sabrina, Puck and the girls showed up."

"Ah," he said with a short nod as if her stiffness made sudden sense.

She inhaled and sat back down beside her husband. "We were only stranded for a few more hours after that. We played some games with Linda, and we had some more crepes and coffee. We never did lose power."

"Where does the story pick up?"

Daphne exchanged a grin with her sister before she turned to her older niece. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Me?" Alison squeaked in surprise.

"You were nine years old when I brought Pinocchio to my parents' house for family dinner," Daphne explained.

"And you, Emma, were five," Pinocchio said with a chuckle.

"We were there?" The girls squeaked in unison.

"Well, you were there," Sabrina admitted with a chuckle. "But unfortunately, Uncle Jake brought his limited supply of forgetful dust, and Emma was playing with it, and, well, you can guess the rest."

Daphne laughed. "That must have happened after we left."

Sabrina nodded. "Let me tell you, it's no fun to have two girls staring blankly at each other and then at you. Puck and I had our hands full."

"I'll bet," Pinocchio said with a chuckle. "Though your girls are young ladies now, they were quite mischievous then."

"Tell me about it," Puck said as he rolled his eyes with great exaggeration.

"Says the Trickster King himself," Sabrina said as she raised an amused eyebrow.

"Hey, they didn't just get mischief from _my_ side of the family," Puck grinned. "Their father _may_ be the Trickster King, but their mother _is_ the Queen of the Sneaks."

"How could I have forgotten?" Sabrina said as she settled further into his embrace. She was starting to feel that unsettling nausea again, and she wished it would just go away so she could enjoy the rest of the evening with her family before her husband dragged her to Faerie.

"You okay?" Puck asked with loving concern.

"Fine," she said as she tried to brush his concern away. She saw the wide-eyed worry in her daughters' faces, and she didn't want them to be afraid. At least not until they knew anything for sure one way or the other. "Daphne, why don't you refresh their memories about that family dinner?"

Daphne nodded as she almost silently read her sister's thoughts. "All right. Mom and Dad had just returned from Italy for the spring and summer, and they wanted to have the family around for a traditional Italian meal complete with photos from their trip..."


	24. Chapter 24

_Five and a half years earlier_

"I don't know why I'm so nervous," Daphne said as she looked over at her boyfriend on the front stoop of her parents' home. "It's not like you haven't already met my family or anything."

Pinocchio laughed as he leaned in and kissed Daphne's nose. "You're cute when you're nervous."

"Stop," she giggled. "You know, if we don't go in there, they're going to ask a lot of questions."

"Hey, your sister and Puck have two adorable little girls. I'm sure they can keep your family busy," he said as he leaned in for another kiss.

She pressed a hand against Pinocchio's chest and ducked away coyly. "We have to go inside and listen to my parents talk about their trip to Italy, okay?"

"I love it when you giggle like that," Pinocchio said with a low voice as he leaned in for another kiss.

The door opened, and Henry Grimm stood in the doorway and cleared his throat with his arms crossed. "Hi, Daphne," Henry said with a wide smile. Then, he turned to her boyfriend with a more icy gaze. "Hello, Pinocchio."

Pinocchio coughed nervously. "Hello, Henry."

Henry raised his eyebrow in the direction of the younger man as if he was unimpressed with Pinocchio's use of his first name.

"Sir," Pinocchio corrected, looking more like a little boy than Daphne had seen in a long time.

"Dad!" Daphne snapped as she shot him her own icy glare.

"Don't mind him," Veronica Grimm said as she appeared over her husband's shoulder. "Welcome, Pinocchio. I hope you'll let me know what you think of the authenticity of my cooking. I got my recipes from a sweet, local woman I met at the market."

Pinocchio offered a respectful smile to Daphne's mother. "I have no doubt that you're cooking like a natural Italian by now, Signora Grimm."

"No wonder Daphne loves you," Veronica said with a twinkle in her eye as she walked back into the kitchen. "You're sweet."

Pinocchio blushed.

"I _am_ right, aren't I?" Veronica asked as she eyed her daughter with a knowing smile. "You two _are_ back together?"

Daphne nodded with a smile.

"You should have seen the way they were kissing on the front porch," Henry said gruffly.

Daphne blushed as she turned back to her mother. "Is there something I can do to help you get dinner ready?"

Veronica shook her head. "Tonight, you're guests. Basil said he'd be a little late—he has class until six. Sabrina and Puck said they'd try to be here as close to on time as they could be, but apparently Emma has taken to terrorizing Alison as Puck and Sabrina are distracted by their preparations to get out the door."

Daphne laughed. "Well, no one can contest that she's Puck's daughter."

"Isn't that the truth!" A familiar voice laughed.

Daphne turned to find Sabrina walking into the house with nine-year-old Alison and five-year-old Emma behind her. Puck brought up the rear.

"Sabrina!" Daphne said with a grin as she hurried over and hugged her sister.

"I see you and my former partner have gotten back on good terms," Sabrina teased her younger sister. "I heard from a contact at NYU that someone saw him carry you out to his car? And Linda, from the Creperie came into the office the other day for a legal matter and mentioned that you were stranded there during the snow storm?"

"I can explain that," Daphne said as a blush colored her cheeks.

"Hey, I don't need any explanations," Sabrina said with a grin. "I think it's about time you two got back together. You forget, I was subject to all his not-so-discreet questions about you."

Daphne turned a curious eye to Pinocchio who shrugged. "What? You made an impression!"

"And the fact that I'm Daphne's older sister is just icing on the cake, right?" Sabrina teased Pinocchio.

"Objection, counsel is leading the witness," Pinocchio cried as if they were in court.

Sabrina laughed loudly. "Sustained," she admitted with another chuckle. "The jury will disregard that last statement."

Daphne chuckled as she looked over at her mother. "Where did you go? I mean, besides the villa of course."

"A lot of places, actually," Veronica said with a smile. "Venice, Tuscany, Rome." She turned to Pinocchio as she brought out the salad and placed it on the table. "Actually, we went to a place that I think you'll find interesting. We went to a little village called Collodi. And the Pinocchio Park just outside the city."

"Pinocchio Park?" Daphne and Sabrina asked in unison.

Pinocchio blushed. "Well, yeah. The townspeople liked my father so much that they created a commemorative park for my story. They sell marionettes there, there's a giant whale fountain," Pinocchio shuddered involuntarily as he spoke of the whale as if he was fighting back bad memories of something. "And, uh, everything else related to my story."

Daphne's jaw dropped.

"You mean that part of the story was true?" Sabrina asked before Daphne had a chance to recover her voice. "It wasn't just an exaggeration?"

Pinocchio managed a weak smile as he turned to Veronica. "Are Jake, Red and Canis coming?"

Veronica nodded. "But I'm not sure exactly when they're coming. As usual, it's hard to get Jake to tell you when he's planning on being anywhere."

"That's my brother," Henry said from where he was playing with his granddaughters.

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Veronica walked over to open the door.

"Good evening, Veronica Grimm," a gray-haired, old man said with a slight bow to the woman.

"Canis, how are you?" Veronica asked as she leaned in and kissed the old man's cheek.

He blushed. "I am well, Veronica Grimm," he said as he offered her a small smile.

"Come in," she greeted cheerfully. She turned to the young woman standing beside Canis. "I understand you're a world traveler, Red."

Red blushed. "A couple of trips to Tibet and suddenly I'm a world traveler."

Daphne laughed. "Some of us haven't ever left the country—let alone gone on two pilgrimages to a Tibetan monastery to practice meditation."

"I do whatever I have to do in order to keep the beast inside me at bay," Red as she tried to manage a thin smile.

"I'm still looking for anything that will help you," Daphne returned sympathetically. "And when I talked to Uncle Jake last, he admitted that he was still looking for the North Wind."

"I appreciate that," Red said with a grateful nod in Daphne's direction. "But until then, I'm going to keep practicing my meditation and yoga."

"From what I understand, they're both healthy habits to keep doing regardless of whether you have a monster inside you or not," Veronica said as she closed the door. She looked around at the group with a smile. "Looks like we're almost all here. We're just waiting for Jake and Basil now it seems."

"Did someone say our names?" Basil asked as he opened the front door and stood in the doorway with Jake standing behind him.

"Uncle Basil!" Alison cried as she ran toward him.

"Hi, princess!" Basil laughed as he caught her in his arms.

Daphne caught her sister's slight grimace. "I take it that the girls don't know how true that title really is for them," she said softly.

Sabrina's head snapped up. "No." She shook her head. "Puck and I want the girls to grow up as close to normal as possible. They think their father's called Puck because he was on a hockey team in college."

Daphne instantly began giggling. She won a pointed look from her older sister. "You were serious?" Daphne asked as she sobered.

"The girls have enough to worry about just being little girls right now," Sabrina said seriously. "They don't need to worry about being Grimms or fairies until much later."

Daphne wasn't sure that her sister was right. How many times had she and Sabrina gotten frustrated with their father's decision to hide their heritage from them? He'd gone farther than Puck and Sabrina by telling the girls that their grandmother was dead, but there was a part of Daphne that feared that her sister might one day fall into the same trap that by not telling her children about their responsibility and destiny as Grimms, they would be woefully unprepared when they were faced with a challenge that only they could face.

"I know what you're thinking, Daphne, but this is right for our family," Sabrina said quietly.

"They're your children," Daphne said with a smile. "I might not agree with what you've decided to do, but I'll do my best to respect it."

"Thank you," Sabrina said with a grateful smile.

"But Puck involved in any kind of organized sport?" Daphne asked with a laugh.

Sabrina's smile became reluctantly amused at Daphne's thought. "I know. Funny, isn't it?"

"A tad bit unbelievable," Daphne admitted with a chuckle.

"So, you and Pinocchio," Sabrina said as she turned back to her sister.

"We're back together, but we're taking it pretty slow," she said without giving her sister any specific details.

"It's been what—a month since the snowstorm that brought you two back together?" Sabrina asked softly.

"Yes," Daphne said with a nod. "And so far, we've been able to spend more time together—more quality time together—than we were able to get in practically all of our relationship ten years ago."

"Glad to hear it," Sabrina said with a smile. "You two are good together."

"I've always thought so," Pinocchio said as he wrapped an arm around Daphne's waist.

She blushed happily as he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"Aw, aren't they so cute together?" Puck asked as he came over and wrapped his arm around his own wife's waist.

He blew a raspberry on Sabrina's cheek and she turned an annoyed look in his direction. "Are you _ever_ going to grow up?" She asked with a small sigh.

"Not for a _very_ long time, my dear," he said with a grin. "As I recall, it's one of the things you love about me."

She raised her eyebrows as if the news surprised her. "Oh, really?"

He nodded. "Yep. You just can't get enough of my childishness."

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Keep telling yourself that," she said with a chuckle.

"What's going on here?" Henry Grimm asked as he approached the two couples, having left Emma and Alison to play with Uncle Jake in the living room.

"We're just talking, Dad," Daphne assured him as Pinocchio tightened his grip on Daphne's waist.

"Actually, sir," Pinocchio said as he inhaled deeply. It was as if the breath would give Pinocchio all the courage he needed in order to say whatever he was going to say. The thought of Pinocchio needing courage to talk to her father, however, made Daphne nervous about what he was going to say.

"Yes?" Henry asked as he turned an eye to Daphne's boyfriend.

Pinocchio swallowed, and Daphne could feel him trembling beside her. "I have something I'd like to ask your daughter if you don't mind."

Henry's eyebrows shot up in surprise before his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What would you need to ask my permission to ask my daughter?"

Daphne felt her throat tighten with panic as she realized that Pinocchio was planning to propose here in front of her family. Like he'd tried to do ten years ago.

"Don't," she whispered.

Sabrina's eyes widened at Daphne's quiet request though Pinocchio didn't seem to hear her.

"I intend to ask your daughter to marry me," Pinocchio announced. "I let her go too easily ten years ago, and I don't intend to do the same today."

The room seemed to close in on Daphne as she felt everyone's eyes fall on her. They were all expecting an answer from her. They all expected her to say yes.

"My daughter has always been able to make up her own mind," Henry said as he received a piercing gaze from his wife. "If she wants to marry you, then we'll support her."

Pinocchio turned a tender smile to Daphne as he knelt in front of her and removed the very velvet box from his pocket that she had returned ten years ago. "Daphne, I've waited ten years to feel this close to you again. We've already been through so much together, and if you'll let me, I'll be with you through the rest of your life, fighting your battles and doing my best to protect you and to protect whatever children we have the privilege of raising together." He swallowed before he turned a shining smile to her. "I would be honored if you would agree to be my wife."

Daphne's mouth went dry, and she looked to her sister. Sabrina had a nervous look on her face as if she could see past Daphne's defenses and see the turmoil happening inside. Puck was grinning like the Cheshire cat—as if he'd been in on the planning of this very moment. Henry Grimm looked like he was going to be sick. "I," she began as if testing out whether or not her voice would fail her at this important moment.

"You?" Pinocchio pressed gently.

"I—need some air," Daphne said as she pressed past the group and headed out to the patio.


	25. Chapter 25

_Present Day_

"Agh!" Emma cried in frustration.

Sabrina managed a thin chuckle as she closed her eyes and rested her cheek on her husband's shoulder. She was just so tired. All she needed was a nap—

"Sabrina," Puck asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," she whispered. "Just a little—tired."

"I'm taking you to Faerie now," he said after a moment. Sabrina assumed he had conferred non-verbally with Daphne and Pinocchio.

"Is Mom going to be okay?" Emma asked with worry coloring her voice.

"I'm fine," Sabrina murmured as she forced her eyes to open. In front of her stood her ten-year-old daughter with concerned eyes that matched those of her father's. "I'm going to be just fine."

"But Dad's taking you to Faerie," Alison added as her face appeared beside Emma's. "That's not just for sight-seeing."

"No," Puck admitted as his hold on Sabrina tightened. "It's not. But we're hoping that it will be no big deal and that she'll be ready to come home soon."

"Come home?" Alison asked worriedly.

"You're going to stay here until we know for sure what's going on with your mother," Puck said as he picked Sabrina up and extended his wings.

"I'm fine," Sabrina whispered as she settled further into his arms.

"No, Sabrina, you're not," Puck corrected with a firm, but sad tone.

"We'll take care of the girls, Sabrina," Daphne said softly. "You just focus on getting well, okay?"

Sabrina nodded slowly as she allowed herself to slip into the sleep that was calling her so insistently.

* * *

Daphne sighed as Pinocchio escorted Puck to the backyard. She turned to her nieces who were looking frightened by their mother's sudden illness.

"She's going to be fine," she assured them as she opened her arms to embrace them. The girls sat on each side of her, and she hugged them both to her tightly. "Your dad's always taken good care of your mom—even when we were kids and she thought he was annoying."

Daphne sighed softly as she tried to determine whether the girls were ready to be distracted or not. "Shall we continue the story? I'm sure your mother would want you to know the rest of the story."

"So, what happened, Aunt Daphne?" Alison asked softly. "Why didn't you just say yes?"

"That's what I asked when I went out to the patio to see if Daphne was okay," Pinocchio said as he entered the living room.

* * *

_Five and a half years earlier_

The sliding door slipped open as Daphne stood on the patio and inhaled deeply. What was wrong with her? She loved Pinocchio—she knew that much. Why hadn't she been able to just say yes?

"Are you okay?"

She looked to her left to find Pinocchio taking a step toward her. "I'm fine," she said with a nod. "It was just—everyone was looking at me. I couldn't breathe."

He nodded in understanding.

Daphne looked over at him. He was just standing there, looking out over the city like she had for the last few minutes. He wasn't pressuring her for anything she wasn't already to give him, and for that she was grateful. He'd become infinitely patient and understanding with her, which she didn't necessarily understand.

"I suppose you want an answer," she whispered softly.

"I suspect you had a good reason for not giving me an answer when I wanted it," Pinocchio said with a shrug.

They stood in uncomfortable silence for a few more moments before Pinocchio turned to her. "Was my question really so unexpected?" He asked quietly.

Daphne bit her lip. "Yes. And no." She released a breathless chuckle and shook her head. "I don't know. All I know is that I wasn't expecting it right then, and as I felt everyone look at me, I could hardly breathe."

Pinocchio nodded slowly. "I see. So the thought of marrying me makes you claustrophobic."

Daphne reached out a hand to touch his arm gently. "No," she said as she shook her head seriously. "I love the idea of marrying you."

"But," Pinocchio prompted, his eyes filled with pain.

"But we've only just started seeing each other again. Granted, this time it's better than it was ten years ago, but it's still—it feels like it's too soon," she whispered as she turned her gaze back to the city.

"Too soon," Pinocchio murmured. "I appreciate your feelings," he said with a nod. "And I can see why you would think that it was too soon, but I haven't stopped thinking about what we could have been for ten years."

"That's exactly why it's too soon," Daphne said as she shook her head. "We need to know that we're not just getting married because we think we need to—or to live out some fantasy that we've played out in our minds."

"It's not just a fantasy that I've played out in my mind, Daphne," Pinocchio said fervently.

"What about kids?" Daphne blurted out.

"Kids?" Pinocchio asked as his eyebrows shot up. "I assume we'll have them."

"I mean, besides that," Daphne said as she shook her head. "Do we change your name from Pinocchio so that they never know that they're Everafters? Do we have them keep it a secret? Do we homeschool? Do we private school? Have you thought about any of this?"

Pinocchio looked away from her with a small sigh. "Not those issues specifically. Why do you ask?"

"Because my sister and Puck aren't telling their daughters that they're Grimms. Not until they have to," Daphne explained.

"Daphne, we're not Puck and Sabrina," Pinocchio said as if he didn't see the point.

"I _know_ that," Daphne said impatiently. "But we're faced with the same dilemma—well, less the fact that their children could sprout wings or morph into some creature someday."

"Clearly, you've been thinking about this issue," Pinocchio said as he turned back to her. "What are _your_ thoughts and feelings about it?"

She swallowed as she turned away from him and looked down at her hands as they draped over the railing. "I, uh, don't want my children to be deprived of fairy tales. I want them to know their heritage, and I want them to be Grimms and Everafters from the moment they're able to understand what that means. I don't want to shove it down their throats, but I don't want to hide it from them either."

"I agree," Pinocchio said with a nod. "That's a very healthy approach. It keeps us from alienating your family or the Everafter community. No one has to pretend to be something that they're not. I like your plan."

"You're just saying what you think I want to hear," she whispered. Somewhere along the line, her passion had begun to drip from her eyes in the form of tears.

"No, Daphne, I'm not," he said seriously. "I really feel this way. I spent four hundred years trying to be more important than I really was and more mature than I really was. I ended up shaming my father and betraying my friends. I think knowing and accepting who you are is key to all of this. And so I agree with you."

Daphne studied his eyes. He certainly seemed sincere.

"Daphne, if you need some time, I need you to just tell me," he said softly. "If you say no, I can handle that too. But I'm tired of this ambivalence. Ten years ago, you told me that you thought it would be a good idea for us to break up, and so I didn't ask you to marry me. After you heard what I'd been going through, you came to patch things up, and still you didn't want to marry me. Now, I've asked again, and you say you need some air. You're avoiding the question, Daphne Grimm, and it's hurting us both."

He was right, Daphne admitted to herself somewhat reluctantly. If they didn't make some headway in one direction or the other, they'd be stuck in a rut where they never really had any closure and were never able to make any progress.

She looked down at her left ring finger. She could almost imagine the ring on her finger. The joy that she would have on her face when her father passed her hand to Pinocchio's at the altar. The angelic faces of the children they might one day have.

He was still the most attractive man she'd ever been around—in more ways than just his physical appearance. He was smart and yet kind, hardworking and yet sensitive.

Her heart swelled with emotion, and she wondered for a moment if she could keep it all in. She inhaled as tears sprang to her lips and she turned to Pinocchio.

It was clear that the waiting was eating him up from the inside out. He was doing everything he could think of to be patient, but he was an impatient man by nature. He deserved the chance to have the family he'd always dreamed of but never been able to fully grasp.

"Pinocchio," she whispered as she looked up and into his eyes.

"Yes, Daphne?"

Daphne smiled softly as she slowly took a step toward him and put her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly as she let her lips seek his out. As she finished placing a tender kiss on his lips, she looked up into his eyes as an odd sense of calm settled over her. "I would be honored to be your wife, Pinocchio."

The look of fear and anxiety that had eclipsed Pinocchio's face disappeared and was replaced with a sense of relief. "Do you mean that?" He asked as if he didn't trust that his ears had just given him this wonderful news.

She nodded quickly. "I do," she said as she grinned as well. "I love you, Pinocchio. And I don't know why it's taken me so long to admit it." She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I love you!"

A sudden cry broke out from the family inside, and Daphne pulled away and looked over with a chuckle. "I guess we don't even have to make a formal announcement," she laughed.

Pinocchio didn't say a word, but pulled her closer to him and held her tightly. "Forever, Daphne Grimm. Promise you'll stay with me forever."

"I promise, Pinocchio," she whispered tenderly as she leaned up to kiss him again. "Forever."


	26. Chapter 26

_Present Day_

The house was filled with silence. Daphne could have sworn that she heard Jiminy Cricket chirping outside in the grass behind her house in the echoing silence.

Pinocchio rubbed her arm as if to comfort her, but she didn't need the gesture. She knew why her house was suddenly so quiet. Even if she hadn't seen the worry written on the faces of her nieces, she would have known. Their thoughts were as far away from the story as their parents were from them.

Daphne could see in Alison's eyes that she felt like she needed to say something—that she was uncomfortable with the silence. She reached a hand out to her niece, and gave her a small, reassuring smile. "It's all right. You don't have to say anything. You're worried about your mom."

Alison nodded slowly.

"It's about time for dinner," Daphne said as she looked at her nieces. "Why don't you two tell me what your favorite foods are? We can make those things for dinner—or dessert, if they're sweet foods."

Emma looked up at her aunt. "I like spaghetti and meatballs," she said timidly.

Daphne smiled. "Then it's a good thing we have a real Italian in the house, isn't it?"

Pinocchio chuckled. "I'm not much of a chef, but my father did teach me a thing or two about spaghetti sauce."

Daphne laughed before she turned to Alison. "What's your favorite food?"

"I like ice cream," she said quietly.

"There's a great little ice cream parlor in town," Daphne said with a smile. "Do you remember the story of Jack and the Beanstalk?"

"Yeah," Emma said as she widened her eyes in interest.

"Do you remember how his mother yelled at him for selling the cow?"

Emma nodded. "Yes."

"Well, after Jack started fighting giants, his mother bought a new cow. And she leaned how to make ice cream," Daphne said with a grin. "She lives in Ferryport Landing now. She owns a cute little ice cream parlor in town."

"Mom likes ice cream," Emma whispered softly.

"So does Dad." Alison said with a small smile.

"Then I guess we'll have to do some reconnaissance," Pinocchio suggested as he tightened his grip on his wife. "That way you'll know which flavors to suggest to your parents when they come back."

Alison and Emma looked at one another before they nodded slowly.

* * *

_Faerie – Present Day_

"Please stop pacing, Puck," Sabrina said from where she sat in one of the rooms of the medical corridor of the Everafter Administrative Headquarters. "You're making me dizzy and nauseated."

Puck turned to look at her with absolute apology written on his face. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she said as she patted the seat beside her. "Just sit down, okay?"

He nodded as he walked over and sat with her. "I don't know what's taking so long. Don't they know who you are?"

"I'm nobody," Sabrina said with a small chuckle. "It's _you_ that they know."

"Because I was born to a royal family," Puck said as he rolled his eyes. He jumped off the bench and walked over to the door. He opened it, sighed, and then shut it again. "You'd think that we'd get some better service around here. I'm just the king of Faerie!"

"You're worried. I get that," Sabrina said softly. "But I'm fine. I just took a nap, and now I'm feeling much better."

"You're in a state of perfect serenity," Puck said as he raised an eyebrow. "That tells me something is wrong. When we're facing a crisis, you become calm and I freak out."

"Have you ever thought that it's not what the outcome of the crisis is that sends us into this role reversal, but rather the crisis itself?" Sabrina returned. "I may be calm and collected, but that doesn't in and of itself mean that anything is wrong."

"No," Puck admitted as he sat down beside her. "But it doesn't keep me from wishing we had some answers."

"I know," Sabrina said as she reached over and took his hand in hers. "You were never good with uncertainty. You always need to know the answers."

Puck looked at her with an expression that Sabrina wasn't sure she could decipher. It was like regret and apology were etched together in his features with a generous helping of guilt. "Sabrina, I need to tell you something, and I want you to hear me out."

"Hear you out?" Sabrina asked with a smile that betrayed her attempt to be amused when she was actually quite concerned. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember what happened when you told me we were going to have Emma?"

"Of course," Sabrina said with a nod. "How could I forget?"

* * *

_Eleven years earlier_

The sound of the front door opening made Sabrina's heart flutter nervously as she bent down to take the meatloaf out of the oven were she'd been warming it while she waited for her husband to come home.

"Is that you, Puck?" She asked as she set the dish on the stove and closed the oven door.

"Yep," he said somewhat unenthusiastically. He walked over, exhausted, and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"You look terrible," she admitted as she studied him. He was pale, and he had dark circles shading his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. The stress of running Faerie was beginning to take its toll on him despite his Everafter physique.

"Watch it, Stinkface," Puck groaned as he ran a hand over his eyes tiredly. "Another greeting like that, and I might start to think that you care."

"Sorry," Sabrina said as he fell into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. She turned around and brought the meatloaf to the table. "How about some dinner?"

"That would be great," he said with a grateful smile. He looked around the kitchen as she went to get the mashed potatoes. "Where's Alison?"

"She's at my mom's house," Sabrina said as she sat down at the table. 'I thought you and I could have the night to ourselves."

Puck chuckled as he looked over at her. "Oh?"

Sabrina nodded. "Between my schedule at work and everything that's going on in Faerie to keep you there, I thought it might be good if we spent a little time together—just the two of us."

"Always a good idea," Puck admitted as he took a sip of the water Sabrina had poured for him. "Besides, I like meatloaf."

"I know," Sabrina admitted as she dished up a serving of mashed potatoes to his plate. "That's why I made it."

Puck stopped for a moment as his eyes flew up to catch his wife's gaze. "You have something you want to tell me, don't you?"

She nodded, swallowing her nerves as she prepared to say what she'd been rehearsing in her mind for the last several hours. "Puck, do you remember how you and I talked a few weeks ago about maybe having another baby? That it would be good for Alison to be an older sister?"

Puck nodded slowly.

Sabrina could see the worry settling into his features again, and it made her heart break. "Well, it's not going to be as long a wait as we thought it might be," she said as she tried to force a smile to her lips. The look of dread on Puck's face had taken from her almost all the joy she'd had about their second child.

In an instant, Puck had walked over to her and was studying her closely. "Are you all right?" He looked down to her stomach for a moment before he looked up at her face. "I mean, are you feeling magical or just morning sick?"

Sabrina looked over at him as tears moistened her eyes. "This is a good thing, Puck. Can we just be happy?"

He swallowed before he managed a smile. "I am happy." Then, his smile faded. "I'm just—I'm just worried about you. When you were expecting Alison, we had to put you in an enchanted sleep just so you would survive."

Sabrina put a hand on his and offered him a reassuring smile. "I'm going to be just fine. We're all going to be just fine."

Puck was quiet for a few moments before he finally offered a reluctant smile to his wife. "So, do you want a boy or a girl?"

Sabrina broke into a grin as her eyes filled with happy tears. "Whether it's a boy or a girl, I'll be happy if we just have a healthy baby."

He put a hand on her flat stomach. "A healthy baby for both of us to raise together," he said as he leaned his forehead against hers and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Together," she nodded.

* * *

_Present day_

"Sabrina, you remember what happened after that night," Puck said with a sigh. "You started exhibiting the same signs you had with Alison only faster. Even an enchanted sleep couldn't stop it."

"What?" Sabrina asked in shock. "If that's true, how am I still here?"

Puck looked down at the ground before he turned to his wife. "Because I took matters into my own hands."


	27. Chapter 27

_Present day_

"What do you mean you took matters into your own hands?" Sabrina asked with a suspicious look at her husband.

He opened his mouth to speak as the door opened. A fairy, with bright yellow wings, brown spiky hair, and a wide smile entered the room. "Sabrina Grimm, I presume." She bowed to Puck. "Your Majesty."

"Can we move past the formalities please?" Puck demanded as he motioned for her to go more quickly.

"Puck," Sabrina murmured as she reached up for his hand. She gave him a look as if to ask him to calm down. Then, she turned to the fairy. "Please forgive my husband for his nervousness. I assume you're the doctor?"

"My name is Tinker Bell, and yes, I'll be your doctor today."

Puck's brow furrowed in irritation. "As in—Peter Pan's Tinker Bell? The pixie?"

"First of all, I'm not a pixie, I'm a fairy. It's a common misconception, but one that I'm sure you'll appreciate. Second of all, it's not like I ever belonged to Peter or anything. I was always autonomous when it came to Peter and the Lost Boys," Tinker Bell said with a wave of her hand. "And before you ask, I have a degree in medicine from Oxford University."

"Really?" Sabrina asked in surprise.

Tinker Bell nodded. "While Peter was looking for Ferryport Landing, I was getting an education."

"That's fascinating!" Sabrina said eagerly leaning forward. "You're the first fairy I've met who got a human education."

"I could see the changing of the tide," Tinker said with a shrug. "Everafters marrying humans—and everyone needing a doctor who could practice both medicines. I'm just glad I saw it when I did. Since the Barrier came down in Ferryport Landing and Faerie's become more of an Everafter administrative center, my skills have been in high demand."

"I thought in the story, you were killed," Puck said with a suspicious eyebrow raised as he studied the other fairy.

"Because of the poison that was meant for Peter and all that?" Tinker finished. "Yeah, it didn't happen that way. Peter didn't listen to me, so I ran off. He spilled the poison, and as it burned a hole in the table, he realized I was right. We haven't spoken since."

"Wow," Sabrina said in surprise. "That's quite a different story."

"Peter doesn't like looking like a bad guy," Tinker Bell said with a shake of her head. "Don't get me wrong, he's a decent enough boy, but that's all he is. A little boy who's decided he's never going to grow up. Not even for a girl."

"Well, that's one place you bested him," Sabrina said with a chuckle as she turned to her husband. "You grew up."

Puck couldn't hide a reluctant smile from appearing on his lips. "Yes, thanks to you and your puberty virus."

"Well, isn't that cute?" Tinker said with dripping sweetness. "Who knew the King of Faerie was so sentimental?"

Puck threw an irritated look to the fairy doctor. "Just run your tests and tell us what's going on with my wife."

"As you know, that's not exactly the way it works in Faerie," the fairy said as she turned away from Puck and toward Sabrina.

"Don't listen to my husband," Sabrina said with a small smile. "He's just being overprotective—as usual."

Tinker chuckled. "I've heard stories of how overprotective King Puck has been. Until now, I didn't believe a word of them."

Sabrina squeezed her husband's hand affectionately. "Unfortunately, I've given him good reason to be overprotective."

"I've noticed that," Tinker Bell said as she nodded. "I read your file. So, you're the Everafter who's addicted to magic and can be killed by overexposure to magic."

Sabrina nodded slowly. "It sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it?"

"Maybe," Tinker Bell admitted. "But it's not the strangest thing I've heard of." She put the chart in her hand down on the table beside Sabrina. "How are you going to react if I weave a magical sphere around you?"

"A magical sphere?" Sabrina asked in surprise.

The fairy nodded. "It's one of the latest diagnostic tools we've developed. It helps us to determine whether or not we're dealing with a magical ailment or a human ailment. It's especially helpful for the children of morals and Everafters."

"You mean, there are children who are part mortal and part Everafter?" Sabrina asked in surprise.

"The idea isn't as new as you make it sound," Tinker Bell said with a laugh. "Haven't you ever heard of demi-gods?"

"Well, yes," Sabrina admitted. "But I didn't think they were Everafters."

Tinker Bell shrugged. "Who am I to say whether they are or are not Everafters. All I know is that it's pretty much the same as what I've had to deal with when I'm talking to part-mortal and part-Everafter kids."

"I see," Sabrina said thoughtfully.

"Now, back to my question," Tinker said as she positioned her fingers into a spherical shape and produced a purple, glowing orb that crackled and fizzed within the confines of her hands. "How are you going to react to this?"

Sabrina braced herself for the nausea and dizziness which would overtake her. Then, as she tried to deal with her physical symptoms, she would try to partake of the magic. When it erupted from her, however, she would be on the verge of death and she would crave more.

Except there was no nausea. And no dizziness. In fact, she felt distinctly unaffected by the ball of magic in front of her.

"Are you sure that's magic?" Sabrina asked as she looked up at Tinker Bell.

"Do you know anyone who can light up like this without it?" Tinker Bell asked in surprise.

"No," Sabrina said as she shook her head. "But I'm not feeling like it's magic."

"Maybe it takes a few minutes of exposure before it kicks in," Puck said as if he had suddenly become interested in the conversation.

"No, Puck, it's instantaneous when I'm faced with these kinds of things," she said with a stubborn shake of her head. As she looked over at him, she noticed a new emotion appearing on her husband's face where once there had only been shame and regret—an odd look of hope. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I got interrupted before I could finish the story," Puck admitted. He turned to Tinker Bell. "Would you mind giving us a few minutes?"

"Weren't you just railing at me to move on with things?" Tinker Bell asked as she turned a confused eye to Puck.

"Yes, but I need to talk to my wife," Puck said seriously. "I need to tell her what happened almost eleven years ago."

"Fine," Tinker Bell said as she threw up her hands. The orb that had been suspended within her grasp disappeared with a resounding crack. "I'll knock when I'm back. If you don't answer, I'll assume you need more time, okay?"

Sabrina turned a grateful smile to the fairy. "Thank you."

The door closed behind Tinker Bell, and Sabrina turned to her husband. "You were saying something about taking things into your own hands."

Puck nodded.

* * *

_Eleven years earlier—Puck_

"I called you because I wanted to know if I was crazy," Puck said as he looked at Daphne. "Is it just me or is she getting worse?"

Daphne sighed softly. "It's not just you."

Puck swallowed down the sudden fear that he might not get a chance to see his wife again—or hold the child she'd risked her life to have. "Then what can we do?"

Daphne shook her head. "I don't know what we can do," she managed. Her eyes were filling with tears more quickly with each passing moment, and Puck turned his head. He couldn't see this. Not right now.

"How long do you think she's got before—" Puck hesitated before he uttered the next word that was on the tip of his tongue. He couldn't admit—not to himself, not out loud—how close he was coming to losing his wife. Long before he'd ever admitted it, Sabrina had been the purpose behind his life. Why he grew up, why he wanted the world to be a better place. Before Sabrina, his life's ambition had been to be a child mischief. Now, he wanted to save the world. All for her.

"Not long, I'm afraid," Daphne said softly. Her eyes were puffy and swollen, and her voice was thick with emotion. "I almost wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to wake her up and let us say our goodbyes."

The tension in Puck's jaw stiffened as he tried to keep from releasing the emotion that had sprung from his heart to his throat. "Then," he managed carefully. His voice had to be controlled or he would lose his composure like Daphne had begun to do. "I guess I should go find us another option."

"What exactly are you going to do?" Daphne asked in surprise. She was looking at him like she'd never met him before—like the look in his eyes was foreign to her.

Perhaps it was. He was desperate for the first time in his long life. Even during the Everafter War, he'd never been this desperate. He known somehow that everything would work out. After all, they'd had hundreds of Everafter wars in his lifetime, and Mirror's war was only the latest in a long line. Besides, the prophecy had assured him that Sabrina and Daphne would emerge victorious—even if none of the rest of them survived.

But now, he had no such promise. Now, he had a young daughter who would be as lost without her mother as he would be.

"I'm going to call Jake. Maybe he has an idea of something that could help," Puck said as he walked over to the phone.


	28. Chapter 28

_Present day_

Puck stood up and began pacing around the room.

"You're not going to just stop there, are you?" Sabrina cried in shock. It may have been her life, but this story was as new to her as anything else she'd heard in her life. "What did you _do_, Puck?"

Puck turned back to her and raked his hand through his hair in aggravation. "Look, I'm going to go and talk to Mustardseed. We're going to get some people together who are going to ferret out this resurgence of the Scarlet Hand. Until then, I want you to stay in Ferryport Landing—or maybe here at Faerie. I want you out of the way until we catch these guys and find out what they have planned. Once we've figured that out, then we can go back to our home."

Sabrina stared at her husband. "Okay, one minute, you're telling me a story that has to do how you took drastic action that eventually saved my life, that somehow has an immediate bearing on what's going on right now, and the next, you're telling me that we need to move out of our house for the foreseeable future?"

"Just until we nip this thing with the new Scarlet Hand group in the bud," Puck assured.

"Are you out of your mind?" Sabrina demanded. "I'm a Grimm. We don't run and hide, we stay and fight. You know that."

"I'm not saying a word against your brilliance as a tactician, Sabrina," Puck soothed. "But right now, we need to think about the girls. Alison, alone, has enough on her mind without adding mortal danger to the list."

Sabrina looked deeply into her husband's earnest eyes. He was stalling for some reason. He was hiding something from her.

"Puck, I need you to finish the story you started," she murmured soberly. "I think it holds the key to why you're freaking out right now about every little thing, and while I'm surprised that you didn't say one word about something this catastrophic in the last ten years, I think it's time you told me every detail about what happened after you stormed out of the house to find Uncle Jake."

Puck sighed softly before he nodded.

* * *

_Approximately eleven years earlier_

"What can I get for you to drink?"

Puck looked up at the bartender, a large burly man with a small golden hoop earring hanging from his left earlobe. The Genie from the Aladdin story must have learned a long time ago to be specific with his question. Simply asking, "what can I get you?" would have yielded many other answers.

"I'm not thirsty," Puck said as he reached into his pocket for a photograph of Jake. He placed it on the table in front of the genie. "But I'm looking for this man. He's kind of a loner, always wears a trench coat—"

Before he could continue, the genie's eyes pointed toward a man wearing sunglasses with a scraggly beard who had his arms around two blondes and his attention focused on a third. Puck's gaze followed the gaze of the bartender and rolled his when he saw Jake entertaining three thin, blondes with slender bodies and a hearty appreciation of bleu cheese if their hot wings and dip were anything to go by. Puck murmured a thank you to the bartender as he walked toward the group.

"Your important assignment was drinks with the Andersen triplets?" Puck demanded as he approached his wife's uncle. "In Miami?"

Jake lowered his sunglasses for a moment before he turned to the women. "I'll, uh, be right back, okay?"

The women all looked annoyed though they all nodded slowly.

Jake stood and motioned for Puck to follow him. "You know, it's not exactly safe for the King of Faerie to travel around these parts," he said as they walked outside.

"And it's safer for Jacob Grimm and the Andersen triplets?" Puck demanded in irritation.

"We're on a case," Jake said with the wave of his hand. "A case which you may very well have destroyed for us." Jake took another look at Puck as his brow furrowed in concern. "Why _are_ you here, Puck? How's Sabrina?"

"That's why I'm here," Puck said instantly. "I need something to reverse her condition."

"You mean the enchanted sleep? I'm pretty sure you hold the key there," Jake said flippantly.

"No, her intolerance of magic," Puck snapped. "This pregnancy is killing her, even in the enchanted sleep. I need something stronger."

"Hey, I'm not into those kinds of things," Jake said as he raised his hands in surrender. "you know as well as I do that all I understand are magic wands and trinkets. What you're talking about is a spell. And it's such powerful magic that I'm pretty sure only one person could manage it."

"If you say Baba Yaga, I'm sure that Daphne has already—"

"It's _not_ Baba Yaga," Jake interrupted. "It's the Blue Fairy."

Puck swallowed before he shook his head. "The Blue Fairy left Ferryport Landing a long time ago. Sabrina's the only one who knows where she is, and Sabrina's asleep."

"I'm sure Sabrina has files in her office that will tell you where to find the Blue Fairy," Jake said seriously.

"Oh, no!" Puck said with a shake of his head. "When we got married, I promised Sabrina that I wouldn't use her status as fairy tale defense attorney to help me out as King of Faerie."

"You're not." Jake said instantly. "You're using all of the resources at your disposal to save her life. If she's alive to get angry with you, count yourself lucky."

Puck looked at Jake, knowing the personal history that lay behind his words. If he had had any way to save Briar, he would have done so. Even if doing so had angered her.

Puck nodded slowly.

* * *

_Present Day_

Sabrina swallowed slowly.

Puck looked at her with a visible amount of anxiety. "Say something, Sabrina. Anything, please."

Sabrina looked up at him, feeling somewhat nauseated. "You took advantage of the fact that I was in an enchanted sleep, looked in my files and broke attorney-client privilege to find where the Blue Fairy was so you could save my life?"

Puck nodded slowly.

Sabrina blinked away hot tears of anger and betrayal as she fought conflicting emotions of gratitude and love. "I can't believe you did that," she managed through her tears. "We had _one_ agreement when we got married. That you were _never_ going to take advantage of my attorney status to help yourself."

"And I didn't," Puck said quietly.

"She gave me that address—she asked me to keep it on file—so that if her sister wanted to contact her, she would be able to find the address easily," Sabrina said as if she hadn't heard her husband's argument. "No wonder she came back to Ferryport Landing after Emma was born!"

"Sabrina, I know you're upset, and you have every right to be," Puck began.

"You better believe that I do!" Sabrina snapped angrily. "Not only did you betray my confidence while I was asleep, but you kept it hidden from me for over ten years! Why, Puck, why didn't you tell me about this? Don't you think I needed to know?"

Puck was quiet. "I didn't tell you because until now, I had no evidence that my plan worked."

Sabrina raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What?"

"When I returned from making my wish, you had gone into premature labor. Emma was in the neonatal unit at the hospital, and I needed to kiss you to wake you up. We were all so worried about Emma at that point that I didn't get a chance to tell you. After that, I figured that there was no point in telling you lest I raise your hopes and find out that my wish didn't work."

"Why didn't you know it worked?" Sabrina asked after a moment. "Didn't the Blue Fairy say she granted your wish?"

"When she found out what I had done and why I had done it, she was upset but understanding. However, she only had time to hear my wish before she had to leave. Unbeknownst to me, I had led some Everafters to her location so I bought her some time to get lost and disappear again," Puck explained. "I got a letter a few weeks later, and I assumed it was from her since she said something about how she hoped you were doing better because you were one of the least selfish people she had ever known. She said something about making a wish to save the Everafters instead of wishing away your own afflictions."

Sabrina inhaled at the memory of her uncle's ill-advised wish so long ago. "That's not the point, Puck. You should have said something."

"Yes, I should have," he admitted. "And I'm sorry I didn't. Can you forgive me?"

Sabrina nodded slowly. "It might take a little time to process what exactly has just happened here, but yes, I can forgive you."

Puck offered her a relieved smile as he sat beside her. He reached for her hand as a look of cautious excitement and apologetic concern appeared in his eyes. "Sabrina, I have to admit that I had another reason for telling you all of this now."

Sabrina nodded slowly. "I thought as much. And I think I know what that reason is. You think we might be having another baby, don't you?"

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Puck asked softly.

Sabrina was silent.


	29. Chapter 29

_Back in Ferryport Landing:_

"So, how are the cones?" Daphne asked as Pinocchio helped to get her settled into one of the chairs.

"Fine," Alison said somewhat listlessly as she looked out the window at the setting sun.

"And yours?" Pinocchio asked, looking at Emma.

She shrugged. "It's okay, I guess."

"I guess ice cream wasn't the right move," Daphne said with a small sigh.

"No, we like ice cream," Alison said as she forced a smile to her face. "It's just—I don't know. I guess we're—"

"You've been through a lot," Daphne said softly. "The last couple days have been tough for you. That's understandable."

"I'll get some cups, and we'll put your ice cream in the freezer," Pinocchio said as he stood.

"No, it's okay," Alison said as she took a large lick of the cone. She grimaced as it went down her throat. "Brain freeze," she groaned.

"Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth," Pinocchio ordered,

He won a curious look from the teenager.

"Just do it," he said soberly.

She rolled her eyes and pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth. "Whoa, that works!"

Pinocchio chuckled. "Brain freeze happens when the roof of your mouth gets cold. Your tongue heats up the roof of your mouth, and brain freeze—well, you get the picture."

"That's a neat trick," Alison said, somewhat impressed.

"Daphne? Is that you?"

The feminine voice interrupted the group, and Daphne turned to the source of the voice. "Mayor White?"

Emma's eyes widened as the slender, beautiful mayor approached the table. "You're Snow White!"

The dark-haired beauty turned a brilliant smile to the little girl. "You must be Emma." She turned back to Daphne. "Billy told me that Sabrina and Puck had brought the girls for a visit."

"Billy?" Alison mouthed to Pinocchio, who chuckled softly before nodding slowly as if to confirm to his niece that the mayor had indeed called Prince Charming "Billy."

"Where _is_ Sabrina?" Snow asked with an observant eye. "And Puck? I thought they'd be with you."

"They had urgent business in Faerie," Daphne said by way of apology. "I'm sure they'll want to see you when they get back."

Snow smiled. "Oh, I'd love to see Sabrina. She was so much like your grandfather, Basil. You were and are much more like your grandmother, but Sabrina was all Grimm."

Daphne smiled. "Thank you."

"Well, I should get going," Snow said as she looked back at the two dark-haired beauties at the ice cream counter. "My daughters and I are having a girls' night out. We saw a film at the movie theatre—a rather, um, _interesting_ take on the Snow White story which they found absolutely fascinating. And now we're eating ice cream."

"You actually watched a Hollywood adaptation of your story?" Pinocchio asked incredulously. "I haven't even brought myself to watch the Disney version of _mine_. I hear there are donkey ears involved," he said with a shudder.

"Well, the girls are in an integrated school now, and the other children have wanted to see this film since it was first announced. And I thought it would be a good idea for me to see the movie so that I could separate fact from fiction," Snow said with a sigh. "Billy said it was absurd for us to go and watch a film which was clearly created without our input, so we compromised. He's at home, and I'm out with the girls."

Snow's face became lined with an indescribably deep sadness before she forced a smile to her lips and looked back at the girls. "Tell your parents I said hello, and not to be strangers, all right?"

Alison nodded as Emma threw her arms around the mayor. "I just _love_ you!" She cried.

"It seems I've got another young Grimm for a fan," Snow said with a teasing twinkle in her eye as she looked from Emma to Daphne.

Daphne blushed though she chuckled appreciatively at the joke.

"Take care of yourself, Daphne," Snow said as she bent and gave the younger Grimm daughter a hug. "If you need anything, you know where to find me."

Daphne nodded as the mayor pulled away. "Thank you. The same goes for you, okay?"

Snow managed a thin, tired smile as she nodded.

"So much for happily ever after," Alison murmured after the mayor had left the table.

Daphne raised an eyebrow at her niece's cynical comment. "What?"

Alison rolled her eyes. "Just forget it."

Daphne opened her mouth to say something when Pinocchio put a hand on her arm to stop her. "Maybe in a less public place?" He suggested at her pointed look. Then he looked back at the girls. "I'll get those cups for the ice cream. You can finish it in the car, or you can put it in the freezer when we get back."

"Whatever," Alison said as she looked back out the window.

* * *

_Back in Faerie_:

"Are you ever going to speak to me again?" Puck asked as he and Sabrina walked down the corridors of his enchanted palace.

"Puck, I just—I just need a little time to process everything, okay?" Sabrina said seriously. "I'm not trying to give you the cold shoulder, I just—need some space."

"Right." Puck said as his pink wings sprang out and started fluttering nervously.

"And that's not helping," she said, raising her eyebrow in his direction.

"Of course not," he said as his wings disappeared again.

"It's just that," Sabrina began as she paused in the hallway.

Puck turned to face her with instant and eager attentiveness. "It's just that what?"

"It's just that I wish you had mentioned this a few years earlier. That's all," she finally breathed. "_Before_ you announce to me that you think I'm pregnant."

"Well, you're not," Puck said calmly. "So, no harm done."

"No harm—" Sabrina began, her frustration choking out the sound of her voice before she could finish repeating what he had said. "Do you _hear_ yourself? You broke into my files…"

"It's not breaking and entering if you have a key," Puck defended.

"…you stole classified information…" Sabrina continued.

"Borrowed would be a better term for it," Puck explained.

"…you used that information for personal gain…"

"Not personal gain," he said as he shook his head. "You wouldn't be here if I hadn't done all that—and neither would Emma."

Sabrina heaved a heavy sigh. "Puck, I understand the reasons why you did it, but I just—I just need a little time to process it all, okay?"

"So, you're going to be mad at me for a while, huh?" Puck said as his wings reappeared and flapped nervously.

"For the last time, Puck," Sabrina said as her jaw tensed. "I am _not_ mad at you!"

"Yeah, you don't sound mad at all," Puck said as he shook his head.

Sabrina inhaled slowly and exhaled again. "Just give me some space, Puck. Please."

Puck nodded before he looked over at Sabrina. "Before I give you some space, can I ask you a question?"

"You can always ask," she said with a reluctant nod.

"What makes you so upset—the fact I didn't tell you about this or the fact that there was a possibility you might be pregnant, and you really weren't?" Puck asked slowly.

"Puck, I'm too old to be raising any other kids right now," Sabrina said with the shake of her head.

He opened his mouth to say something, and she raised a hand to stop him.

"I know I'm an Everafter, so that means I'm not _actually_ too old to have any more kids," Sabrina finished, "But our daughters are a handful as they are!"

Puck nodded as a tender smile lit up his face. "They sure are—and I can't exactly blame you alone for that."

"No, you can't," she said with an affectionate chuckle. "You're every bit as much to blame for their mischief as I am."

"Probably more so," Puck admitted with a small smirk.

"I beg your pardon," Sabrina said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I wasn't known for being the Queen of the Sneaks for nothing!"

"Oh, I never meant to imply that," Puck said with a mockingly offended look in his eye. "I only meant to suggest that, well—I was the Trickster King for a few thousand years. You were only Queen of the Sneaks for a few months—a year tops."

"I was Queen of the Sneaks _long_ before I ever met you," Sabrina defended.

"And I was the Trickster King _long_ before you were even born," Puck retorted.

Sabrina went to open her mouth before she shook her head and chuckled. "How is it that you're always able to keep me from getting angry at you?"

"Special gift, I suppose," Puck said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Do you believe what Tinker Bell said?" Sabrina asked softly. "That it's just stress?"

"That could be it," Puck admitted. "Or it could be something else—some sort of spell or something from the Scarlet Hand."

Sabrina shuddered at the thought of being at the mercy of the Scarlet Hand again.

"But for now, I think we should just go back to our family, and pick up where we left off. Our girls deserve to know about their heritage."

Sabrina nodded slowly as she wrapped her arms around her husband's waist. "It doesn't feel like stress," she murmured. "I've worked just as hard recently as I've worked since Emma was born."

"Maybe that's the problem," Puck suggested. "You've always worked too hard. You may be gifted with immortality now, but that doesn't mean that you have to run yourself into the ground."

"Maybe," Sabrina admitted, looking down.

"What is it?" Puck asked, sensing that there was something else on her mind.

"I guess it wouldn't be _all_ that bad if we were to have another baby," she murmured as a blush spread over her cheeks. "I mean, we still haven't done that the "normal" way."

Puck chuckled. "Yeah. When I asked you to not-normal with me, I wasn't envisioning enchanted sleep being a part of that."

Sabrina laughed. "Neither was I."

"But I have to admit that I wouldn't trade a minute of what we've had together so far," Puck admitted as he leaned in to smell his wife's hair and kiss her temple.

"You wouldn't?" Sabrina asked in surprise.

He shook his head. "No, even those times when you were asleep, I couldn't stop thinking about and dreaming about you. And when you woke up, we worked especially hard to make wonderful and beautiful memories with each other and with our girls. I'm not sure we'd have quite that same outlook on life if it hadn't been for those sleeping spells."

Sabrina thought for a moment before she nodded. "Yes, I suppose that's true."

"Sabrina, let's go get our girls and make some new memories, okay?" He murmured softly.

Sabrina nodded as she clasped her arms around his neck. "I thought you'd never ask."


End file.
